Pacific Rim: Interlude
by StoryMakerr014
Summary: They thought it's over. They were so wrong. Kaijus are returning. Bigger. Deadlier. Smarter. But humanity has already learned it's lesson. Now, they are ready to face the monsters at their door. Now, they are ready to bring the fight to them. Join the PPDC and its Rangers as they cancel the Apocalypse once again! GO BIGGER OR GO EXTINCT. Rated T
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

**Alright, guys. So this is the prologue chapter for the reboot version of my story, "**Pacific Rim 2**". I decided to separate this one since I wanted to keep the original. :)**

**Anyway, this fic has better story and writing while retaining the same characters, Jaegers, Kaijus and key elements from the first one.**

**But enough talk. It's time for the story itself!**

* * *

Kaiju_. That's what we called them. Giant beasts from another dimension hellbent on eradicating humanity._

_The first one, codenamed Trespasser, attacked San Francisco, USA on August 10, 2013. For six days, it rampaged across the West Coast, destroying three cities and killing tens of thousands in its path. We threw everything we got at it. Tanks, jets, missiles. But we only managed to slow it down. Until at last, on the sixth day, it was finally killed after the military dropped three nuclear bombs on it._

_We thought it's over. We thought it's just an anomaly in the evolutionary process. We moved on._

_We were so wrong._

_Six months later, it happened again. Another monster. Another city destroyed. Another nuclear bomb deployed._

_But that's not the end. Two more attacks followed. Each one as devastating as before. And that's when it dawned on us. This is not gonna stop. This was just the beginning._

_The beginning of a war._

_Knowing the risk of excessive uses of nuclear ordinances, we tried to think of another way to destroy them. All ideas were rejected. All conventional weapons that we currently have doesn't work on them. Radiation from nuclear bombs will kill us. And so we needed something else. Something that can match them. Something big or else we go extinct._

_A new weapon._

Jaegers_. Giant war machines piloted by two people mind melded into one being. To fight monsters, we created monsters of our own._

_At first, we thought it would never work. Who would? The idea was straight out of a science fiction novel or movie. Based on children's monster and robot toys._

_But then came Karloff. Our first kill. Our first victory. They counted on us to hide. To fail. To give up. They never considered our ability to stand._

That we will rise to the challenge.

_During the five years that followed, our small army of Jaegers grew. Each year, thousands of aspiring Rangers flocked to the Academy, hoping to pilot these machines and ride them into battle against the Kaijus. For five years, we were victorious. For five years, we were heroes._

_Then it all changed._

_In the year 2020, Knifehead, the largest Category III ever recorded, attacked. In less than five minutes, it easily destroyed USA's Mark-3 Jaeger, Gipsy Danger, killing one of its pilots. During the next four years, Rangers started to die as the Jaegers fell at the increased attacks and ferocity of the Kaijus. With each attack, our heroes fell. With each attack, our hopes slowly diminished. Until we were just down to two Jaegers, including the restored Gipsy Danger. Right then, we knew it. It was only a matter of time before our last line of defense was breached. And so, on January 2025, at the edge of our hope, at the end of our time, Marshall Stacker Pentecost decided to assault the portal for one final push and destroy it with a thermonuclear bomb._

_The battle was long and grueling. With only two Jaegers against three Kaijus, one of them a Category V, the mission seemed futile. Marshall Pentecost knew it. And so, together with his co-pilot Chuck Hansen, they decided to sacrifice themselves by detonating the bomb meant for the Breach. In its last act of defiance against the monsters, Striker Eureka, first and last of the Mark-5, goes down in a blaze of glory and took a Category IV Kaiju with him while severely injuring another one._

_As the last Jaeger left on earth, Gipsy Danger, piloted by Raleigh Beckett and Mako Mori, headed straight for the rift to destroy it using their own nuclear core, killing the first Category V along the way. Using its corpse, they entered the interdimensional portal, floating slowly down towards their destination like an angel of death sent from heaven. As they escaped using the pods, the Kaiju's masters watching the behemoth machine with wide eyes, Gipsy Danger exploded as humanity's last warning to the invaders._

_The Breach soon collapsed upon itself. The explosion strong enough to permanently close it. And so we celebrated. The clock was stopped. Our mission was finally done and the war is over._

We had canceled the Apocalypse.

_The whole world rejoiced. And mourned as well. We mourned for the Jaegers and Rangers that had sacrificed their lives to give humanity a chance to survive. Gipsy Danger. Striker Eureka. Crimson Typhoon. Cherno Alpha. The Wei Tang triplets. The Kaidonovskys. Chuck Hansen. Stacker Pentecost. All the Rangers and Jaegers that fought bravely for humanity. These heroes will be forever remembered throughout the history._

_Three years passed, the world slowly recovering what it once lost. With the Kaiju War finally over, we began anew. Cities were rebuilt. International economy grew once more. We got our lives back._

_And just like before, just like the first attack, we thought it's over._

We were so wrong.

* * *

_August 9, 2028..._

_Newton's House, 2:01am_

The ring of a phone awoke Newton Geiszler from his sleep. With a start, he jumped into a sitting position, briefly considering if Otachi had somehow found him and looked around in fear.

Then he sighed. It's been three years already since that terrifying encounter with not just one, but two Otachis. Everytime he was being startled from sleep, or everytime there was a loud vibration on the ground, he always thought that the flyer was knocking at his door or hissing in front of him. That incident was forever etched in his memory. How he barely escaped from being eaten alive. In fact, he still have nightmares about it.

The phone rang again.

With another sigh, he stood up and grabbed his eyeglasses from his bedside table before picking up the receiver.

"Dr. Geiszler here." He mumbled, still drowsy. It's 2am in the morning. Any sane person shouldn't be calling at this hour. Unless it's important, which was happening quite a lot lately. He and Hermann are now world renowned scientists. Kaiju experts. Their work and research had finally paid off, with most of their discoveries being used in various fields including medicine, construction, engineering, and most of all, military. They are now celebrities. As famous as the Rangers themselves.

And it's all thanks to one Hannibal Chau.

Newt couldn't still believe how the black market dealer had survived though. The Kaijus were amonia-based organism. Their very blood is poison and acid combined. Chau couldn't have lived after being eaten alive. When he asked the man about it, the dealer merely laughed.

"_I sold my soul to the devil long ago. I won't die easily._"

Back at the present, the caller spoke.

"_**Dr. Geiszler! It's me, Ramirez!**_" A man with a South American accent said over the phone. Immediately, Newt's sleepiness vanished. Edgardo Ramirez was a former officer in a K-Watch observatory on an island near South America. Their outpost was just one of many others tasked with monitoring any Kaijus heading towards the southern hemisphere. But that was back then during the war. With the breach sealed, the UN had decided to shutdown PPDC and every department connected to it for good, it's personnel going their own separate ways.

"Ramirez! How have you been?" He said. He hadn't seen the man for five years already.

"_**I'm fine, doctor. But that's not important right now! You must come here immediately! This is urgent!**_" The man replied, clearly agitated.

"What is it? What happened?" Newton asked, concerned.

"_**I can't properly explain it to you over the phone, doctor! It's better if you come here instead. This is really urgent!**_" Ramirez said with a slight tone of terror in his voice. The man was usually a calm individual, barely expressing fear or panic at even the most dire situations. Including a Kaiju attack. Whatever this important thing is, it must be big that Ramirez showed signs of terror. Something that he couldn't let pass.

"Alright, I'll head there right away." Newton confirmed.

"_**Gracias, doctor, gracias. And please bring also Dr. Hermann Gotlieb with you. I'm afraid we will need his expertise too for this.**_"

...

_August 9, 2028..._

_K-Watch Outpost, near Peru, 9:34pm_

"Glad you could make it, Dr. Geiszler, Dr. Gotlieb. Please follow me." Ramirez said hurriedly as he led them along the hallway. They were currently in one of K-Watch's outpost 10 miles from the mainland.

"So, what's this about?" Newt asked, slightly alarmed by the fact that they were inside a Kaiju-monitoring building. Facilities such as these were already closed, its purpose served. But, if Ramirez had reactivated it, then the situation must have been dire for him to do so. His suspicions were proven true when the former K-Watch officer answered.

"Something bad." He muttered. "You do know that these outposts were shutdown by the UN ever since the Breach was closed, correct?" He asked the two scientists. They nodded.

"Well, just last night, I came here by myself." He began as they reached a door marked with a "Authorized Personnel Only" sign. "You know, for old time's sake." He added as he unlocked it. Once inside, he flicked a switch, lighting up several flourescent bulbs around the room. Various monitoring equipments and computer terminals filled the walls while a large steel table with a map of the entire Pacific Ocean sat in the middle.

"I booted up some of the computers, checking if they were still working. After all, it's never good to just leave them here to rust. And the government never wanted them anymore." He continued as he approached one and pressed the power button. Immediately, it activated. "When I did a scan..." He trailed off, his fingers beginning to tremble as he typed on the keyboard. "The scanners detected this." An image appeared on the screen. Immediately, Newton and Hermann approached and inspected it.

It was an image taken from a satelite, showing various readings. Nothing too impressive about it. Except for the radiation readouts, which was above than usual. However, Ramirez typed a bunch of keys again and another image appeared on the left.

And that's when Newton's heart skipped a bit.

"The right one is taken yesterday. The left one is taken by NASA on August 9, 2013." Ramirez spoke softly.

August 9, 2013. A day before K-Day.

"Impossible..." Newton whispered. The scans were nearly identical. Even the radiation readouts. But that's impossible. When Newton and Hermann had drifted with the Kaiju brain, they learned that the Precursors were slowly dying. And they had already destroyed their bioengineering facility. No way could they open another portal in less than four years.

"Where was this taken?" Hermann asked, concerned.

"Just a few miles from the last one." Ramirez replied. "But that's not the only problem." He said, his voice trembling. Once again, he punched several keys on the console as another image was opened.

"Doctors, this one is just a hundred miles off the western coast of Mexico." The South American said with fear in his voice.

"My God..." Newton and Hermann whispered simultaneously. They were terrified. And rightly so. Not only one, but two portals might soon open. Tomorrow at the very least. And at each end of the Pacific.

Newton's hands trembled. It's starting again. The Kaijus are returning. Possibly in greater numbers. And they have no Jaegers to combat them.

They are completely defenseless.

"What do we do?" Hermann said even as Ramirez did the sign of the cross.

Newton gulped very hard. They have to remain calm. And act fast. Taking a deep breathe to steady himself, he answered.

"Alert the UN. Tell them to re-establish the PPDC... and restart the War Clock."

* * *

**How's that? Now, compare this to the original prologue and tell me if this isn't better. :D**

**And yes, I did payed homage to the movie itself by beginning this with a first-person narration. :D As for who is speaking at the start of the chapter, I'll just leave it as ambigous as possible. Though I can tell you that it's not an OC. And definitely not Raleigh. ;)**

**By the way, who got that Hellboy reference I placed? :D**

**Anyway, that's it for now. Expect faster updates from now on since I have plenty of free time now. :D**

**Please Read &amp; Review! Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

**Well, this is a bit late. But compared to my previous updates, this one is somewhat faster and a lot better! :D**

**Now, I just want to inform everyone that only the Kaiju and Jaeger section in my companion fic will be considered as canon except for the history data. All information in the pilot section are to be ignored since I'm doing a major reconstruction(is that the right word?) of my OCs.**

**However, anything you have submitted will remain utterly the same. :)**

**Anyway, before we begin, I have something to tell you. One day, I was browsing through my FB account when I came across a new update regarding PR 2. When I had learned that not only will the animated series bridge the gap between the first and second movie but the sequel will begin several years later on a Kaiju-free world, I was so confused that I had almost looked like that frequently used Jackie Chan meme on the internet. I mean, if the animated series is a bridge and it has new Jaegers and Kaijus and the sequel is free of Kaijus and the robots and monsters are "_very different_"... Well, it's enough to give me a headache.**

**AND THEN, a really crazy idea formed in my mind. An idea worthy of Guillermo del Toro's attention. :D**

**I can't give you any spoilers though. But a bit of that idea can be seen here on this chapter.**

**Enjoy reading!**

* * *

_February 3, 2029..._  
_Room 07, East Wing Dormitory, Los Angeles Ranger Academy, 7:12am_

"Cassey! Wake up! We might be late for the final exam!" Someone banged on the door.

Cassiopeia Anderson, or Cassey for short, stirred and groaned. She suddenly bolted upright, remembering that today was their final exam before they could move on to the next phase of their curriculum. Immediately, she stood up and rushed to her sister's bed.

"Cassandra! Cass! Get up! It's our final exam!" She shouted before rushing inside the bathroom to take a shower and brush her teeth.

"WHAT?!" Cass shrieked. "Why didn't you woke me up?" She asked her sister as she jumped from her bed and followed Cassey.

"How can I do that? We're both asleep!" She snapped as she stepped inside the shower, discarding her clothes quickly. Five minutes later, she emerged, a towel wrapped around her petite frame.

"Took you long enough." Cass mumbled before entering the shower and closing the curtains.

"Hurry up. The exam starts at 8:30." Cassey reminded her as she rummaged through their closet for something to wear. She soon found one, a pair of skinny jeans and a blue shirt, and immediately got dressed. Soon, her sister finished taking a bath. By the time 7:30am hits, they have finally exited their dorm room and were both heading straight for the cafeteria.

...

_East Wing Cafeteria, Los Angeles Ranger Academy, 7:42am_

Cassey and Cass were twins. Born in California 18 years ago, they shared almost the exact same appearance. With blonde hair, a petite and curvy body, a pretty face, and legs that can easily attract males of any age. The only differences were their eyes and height, Cassey has sky blue ones and stood at 5'4 while Cass has a light-green hue and was 5'5.

Now, as they walked inside the cafeteria carrying food trays, most of the males inside couldn't help but ogle them. They do not mind though, as they can easily break any part of their body should they try to do something funny. Despite their petite build, they both got a high score in the combat exam, which involves being tested by a Kwoon Fightmaster. In fact, they were part of the top 10 highest, something that only a few female pilots had achieved.

They both finally sat down on their favorite table, which gave them a view of the sea. The Ranger Academy located in Los Angeles was built that way, as it will give its respective Shatterdome easy access should the need to defend it arise. Furthermore, the PPDC wanted its trainees to grow accustom to the ocean since most of their mission will take place on open water.

She remembered how and why they signed up. It was just a week after New Year when they saw the recruitment ads on tv. Because they were both constantly being harassed by boys at school, they had decided to join the Ranger Academy instead just to get away from them. At first, their mother had refused. After all, they were just 18. No girls their age should risk their lives even though they could help a lot of people in the process. However, after thinking through it, Mrs. Jessica Anderson had finally agreed. They were both at legal age anyway. It was their right to choose what they want in life. And so, that's how they found themselves standing together in front of Los Angeles Ranger Academy.

At first, the officer looked unconvinced. In fact, he had told them that they were just wasting their time and will surely be disappointed. The girls didn't took his comment very well though, and he immediately received a double slap in the face. Things would have then gone from bad to worse. As luck would have it, a certain legendary Ranger pilot was present during the incident.

Mako Mori.

After reprimanding the officer in front of the entire crowd, she quickly apologized to the twins for the man's misconduct. Afterwards, she personally oversaw their screening test, to which they passed. Two days later, they soon received a mail telling that they were now officially a trainee.

Cassey sighed as she and her sister ate their food. It's been a month now since they had arrived and the training program was indeed not easy. Mastering the art of Jaeger Bushido, learning the anatomy and behaviour of a Kaiju as well as the inner workings of a Jaeger, compatibility tests and exercise between your partner and lastly, and the most important of all, Pons and Drift training. The Academy will train you physically, mentally and emotionally. And it will train you hard.

Suddenly, someone burst inside the cafeteria in a hurry.

"Guys, quick! Look out the window! The Los Angeles Shatterdome is doing its first test run of the Sentinels!"

At once, they all stopped eating and immediately rushed to the windows. Fortunately for Cassey and her sister, their table was near one, enabling them to have the perfect spot. As the people looked outside excitedly, a loud horn was sounded. Recognizing it as the deployment horn from the Shatterdome, their excitement rose.

"Look! The Bay Doors are opening!" Someone pointed.

In the distance, they could see the Shatterdome. A sprawling complex constructed right on the coastline extending for at least a mile. Circling in the air were numerous helicopters overseeing the deployment. Facing the ocean were a row of ten doors, each with a number on them. But right now, only three of them seems to be in use.

They all held their breaths. No one knows what the Sentinels looks like or even its capabilities. It was strictly confidential, and the government have been tight-lipped about the project. The only information they have disclosed was that it would act as a limited-production version of the Jaegers. Less expensive, but just as powerful since they were simply built as a precautionary measure should a new Breach opens. In fact, the production will only last until May next year. After that, they will switch once more back to producing Jaegers.

As the doors were fully opened, gigantic crawlers rolled out. Slowly inching its way forward, the first unit came into view.

It was as tall as any Jaegers before, but with some differences. It seems to be more defined, its armor less bulky. Also, the Conn-Pod was sleeker and offered a wider view of its surroundings. On its shoulders were nine-tube missile launchers. As the crawler stopped, the third unit soon emerged. As far as they could see, it seems to share the same design as the first one. The only difference were the forward-facing cannons resting on each shoulder.

"Huh? Is it just me, or do they share the same overall design?" One of the trainees asked in confusion. However, before anyone could answer him, the last unit was revealed.

And that's when their heart almost stopped.

Aside from the spikes on its shoulder armor, knees and fists as well as its broader torso, the unit bears a striking resemblance to a certain legendary Jaeger. The Jaeger that had ended the Kaiju War.

Beside Cassey, her sister voiced out what everyone were thinking.

"IS THAT _GIPSY DANGER_?!"

* * *

_LOCCENT Control Room, Los Angeles Shatterdome, 8:09am_

Commander Eric Branston drummed his fingers nervously against the table. Around him, various personnel were busy monitoring the first test run of the Sentinels stationed at Los Angeles Shatterdome.

They had been preparing for this for two months already. Plans were discussed, scrutinized, and laid carefully. People with the right connections were called, and sometimes bribed, to prevent any leakage to the public. All for this particular day.

He glanced at the main screen, showing three Sentinels being rolled out to the sea. On smaller side screens, live video feeds from four other Shatterdomes were also being shown.

He remembered the day that PPDC was re-established. As one of the former Shatterdome Commanders, he was personally approached by Marshall Hercules Hansen himself to request his help in overseeing the Shatterdome located in Los Angeles due to its close proximity with the apparent Western Pacific Breach.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Eric frowned. It's been six months already. Six months since the first evidence that there would be two portals was detected. But so far, no Breach has been opened. There was no sign. No activity. It's as if the radiation readouts they got were no more than anomalies. An unusual fluctuation in the earth's natural radiation.

Of course, it's better to be safe than sorry. And the UN had quickly reformed the PPDC. Knowing that their time is limited, they had ditched the initial proposal of restarting the Jaeger program. Instead, they had opted to do something different but altogether similar.

The Sentinel Program.

Suggested by Dr. Schoenfield himself, the idea was simple. Build a small army of mechs with a modular design to lessen the construction time and costs, and equip it with different configurations, also known as "Armors", enabling the Sentinels to quickly adapt to every possible scenarios and Kaijus. After all, if the monsters could learn from previous battles, so can they. So far, only five types of Armors were produced, with four of them having three sets each. The Striker Armor for close-quarter combat. The Brawler Armor equipped with the standard I-19 Plasmacaster. The Destroyer Armor capable of launching multiple K-Stunner missiles. And the Artillery Armor, with its twin ballistic cannons carrying four different types of ordinances.

The last one, however, was very different.

Calling it the _Gipsy Danger_ v1.5 Armor, it was designed and customized specifically by Mako Mori and Raleigh Becket themselves for their own unit. Except for the additional spikes in its shoulder pouldrons, fists and knees and the lack of turbines in its chest as well as broader torso, the Armor pretty much resembles their former Jaeger. Equipped with upgraded weapons and technologies, it was to act as some sort of replacement for the first one while also being utilized as a test bed for, supposedly, another Gipsy Danger that will start construction sometime in 2032.

Eric sighed. Despite the preparations they were doing, it seems that the threat was pretty much nonexistant. And he couldn't help but feel that this was such a waste of time and money. And now that the Jaeger Program will be restarted as soon as they have built an adequate number of Sentinels, just the thought of all the money involved was enough to make his head ache. Even with the private sectors helping them fund the various projects, he still thinks that it was useless when there's no threat at all.

With another long sigh, he looked back at the screen to see the Sentinels ready to move out.

"Officer Conroy, what's their status?" He asked his LOCCENT Officer.

"Sentinels are ready to go, sir." The man answered.

"Alright." Branston nodded. He approached one of their communications console and pressed a button. "Rangers, this is Commander Eric Branston. Prepare for Neural Handshake."

"_**Copy that, sir.**_" A male voice answered via the intercom. Branston then turned his gaze back towards Conroy to give him the go signal.

"Starting in 15 seconds... 14... 13..." His officer announced as the countdown began. Suddenly, a loud beeping noise was heard.

"Sir, Marshall Hercules Hansen is on the line." A communications officer said.

Eric nodded in acknowledgment. With a press of another button, the veteran's face appeared on one of the monitors.

"Marshall." Eric greeted.

"_**Commander Branston.**_" Marshall Hansen spoke. "_**How's the test run?**_" He inquired.

"So far, they have just finished the Neural Handshake and are ready to move out." He said after glancing at the main screen. "We'll soon proceed for the actual run."

"_**That's good to hear then.**_" The Marshal nodded in satisfaction. "_**Any problems with the media?**_"

"Judging by the swarm of news helicopters that I'm seeing on our screens, I'd say we will soon have." Branston answered with a slight grunt. He wasn't really surprised though. They have already expected this. After all, seeing three giant robots emerging from the Shatterdome is enough to get someone's attention.

"_**Well, that was already expected.**_" Hansen said. "_**Anyway, I just called to check on your side. Say hi to Mr. Becket and Ms. Mori for me.**_"

"No problem, Marshall." Branston nodded with a slight smile. "Well, if you will exc-"

A loud siren blared across the room, interrupting their conversation. From Hansen's end of the line, a similar sound can be heard.

"_**What the bloody hell is that?!**_" The Marshall growled. He stepped out of view as he investigates the reason for the alarm. Meanwhile, Branston did the same, immediately rushing beside his Chief LOCCENT Officer.

"Conroy, what's happening?" He asked with an alarmed expression.

"Sir, our satellites and sensors have just detected a high energy signature right where we first detected the Western Breach!" Conroy explained. "That's what set off the alarm."

Branston immediately barked an order. "Contact all K-Watch outposts within our area. Tell them to give us a report every hour. I want-"

"Sir! A huge energy burst have just occurred!" One of the personnel said.

"Where?" Branston asked sharply.

"Right on the Breach itself. It... It seems to be releasing another burst!" The man said with a panicked look.

_It's starting. _Branston thought.

"Monitor it. If the energy bursts gets frequent, report to me." He said. "Get me all three Sentinels on the intercom!" Immediately, his command was obeyed and a line was quickly established.

"Rangers, change of plans. A signature was just detected near where the Western Breach was supposedly located." He spoke through the line. Several cries of shock were heard as the pilots realized what he meant.

"_**Commander, how bad is it?**_" A familiar voice asked with concern.

"So far, we don't know, Mr. Becket." Branston replied. "But I want you, Ms. Mori and the rest of your Strike Group to remain on standby. We might soon have an attack." He said grimly.

"_**Understood, Commander.**_" A female voice answered. "_**Raleigh and I will wait for your order.**_"

Branston nodded. "We'll just inform you of any developments." Suddenly, Conroy spoke.

"Sir! The energy bursts have just stopped. But..." His voice trailed off as he stared at the screen in confusion.

"But what, Officer Conroy?" Branston asked.

"We are detecting some weak signatures going in different directions." He said with uncertainty in his voice.

"What kind of signatures? And how many?" Branston asked with increasing alarm.

"We are not really sure, but it seems to be similar to a Kaiju's signature. Just weaker." Conroy gulped. "As for how many..." He looked at Branston hopelessly.

"Officer Conroy, how many?" Branston growled, his patience starting to run out. He thought he had an idea what those signatures are. But he was fervently hoping that they were not what he thought they were. However, Conroy's next answer nearly gave him a heart attack.

"...Eight."

* * *

**Ah! The joy of using cliffhangers! XD**

**So, you must be wondering by now what those signatures were. Right? Well, I'll give you guys a clue.**

**Pay closer attention to the entire Hong Kong battle, including the aftermath.**

**Seriously, the answer is all right in there. But that's the only clue I can give you. ;)**

**Now, time to answer your reviews.**

_SigmaBlack**: No worries! I'm in no hurry. :)**_

_avidreaded**: Thanks! Expect frequent and better updates.**_

_Paperman0**: Don't worry, your Jaeger and crew will definitely appear. Regarding the narrator... Well, I'll leave it to your imagination. ;)**_

**Anyway, I think that's it. Regarding your Jaeger, Pilots and Kaiju that have been submitted, they will appear. Of that I can assure you. :)**

**Please Read &amp; Review!**

**Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

**Alright, this one is rather short. I've been busy in real life as well as my other stories as of late. But don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this. :)**

**Anyway, consider this as my Christmas gift to all of you. :D**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_February 3, 2029...  
Hong Kong Shatterdome, Conference Room, 7:01pm_

Hercules Hansen listened to the report with a grim expression. Just nine hours after they had detected high energy bursts in both Breaches on each end of the Pacific Ocean, he immediately mobilized the entire PPDC and all Shatterdomes into high alert status. Fortunately, today was the official launch date of all Sentinel units, and they were able to deploy them quickly on major cities and areas around the Pacific.

Right now, Commander Eric Branston of Los Angeles Shatterdome was giving him a brief status report about any latest activity from his side through video conference.

"_**So far, our Sentinels are still on patrol. Unit 07 through 09 are covering Alaska and the northern states, 10 and 11 are taking care of the southern coastlines including Central America, while the rest are spread out in South America. As for K-Watch, they are still monitoring the area for any movement.**_"

"What about those signatures? Do you still have them on your radar?" Herc frowned. Ever since they appeared, they were baffled as to their real nature. Eight of them appeared near Mexico. For an hour, they tracked their direction until the bogeys seemingly vanished, the sensors no longer detecting them. However, what bothers them most was the fact that another eight signatures appeared just moments after the first one. This time, they came from the Western Breach and like the previous group, these went off in different directions.

On the screen, Branston shook his head. "_**We lost them just an hour after they were detected.**_" He replied. "_**We tried to search for them, but...**_" The commander shrugged helplessly.

With a sigh, Herc nodded. "I understand, Commander." Grimly, he swept his gaze across the screen showing the Commanders of each Shatterdome.

"Gentlemen, I believe it's time to recall the Sentinels and their pilots." He said. "They have been Drifting for too long already and so far, there seems to be no threat. We-"

Suddenly, the door burst open and Newton Geiszler and Hermann Gottlieb entered in a hurry.

"Marshall! Marshall! Wait! They have to hear this first!" Newton called frantically. Behind him, Hermann hobbled quickly with a worried expression.

"Dr. Geiszler, Dr. Gottlieb, I believe I haven't included both of you in this meeting." Herc sighed.

"Yes, we know that, Marshall." Hermann nodded. "But what we have to say is extremely important."

"Yes." Newton agreed. "Extremely important." He repeated.

Herc raised an eyebrow. "How 'extremely' important?" Despite their rather eccentric behaviour, Herc knew better than to disregard their advices and discoveries. After all, these two scientists were the reason why they had won the Kaiju War in the first place. To ignore them would be foolish.

"Remember that time when I first drifted with a Kaiju brain?" Newton asked in a quick manner. "That kind of extreme importance."

If possible, Herc's eyebrow rose even higher. He glanced at Hermann, who nodded. After a minute of contemplating whether he should let them speak or not, Herc finally grunted in approval.

"Fine then."

...

"This was Kaiju Knifehead's signature back in 2020." Hermann began as he typed a command on the console. The three of them were still inside the conference room, discussing the nature of these signatures they had detected. At the head of the table sat Herc while behind him, a large plasma monitor was showing the four Shatterdome Commanders. Meanwhile, both Hermann and Newton were standing near a computer terminal on one side of the room.

An old readout of Knifehead's signature came up on the hologram, and Hermann began to type again.

"Meanwhile, this was Kaiju Slattern's signature from four years ago." Another readout came up beside Knifehead's data.

Herc leaned forward to take a look. From what he could see, they were both identical despite the differences in categorization.

"We already know this, Mr. Gottlieb." The veteran pilot sighed. "We need new information, not an old one."

"Of course, Marshall." Hermann nodded. Again, he started to type on the keyboard. On the hologram display, another readout appeared. Upon closer inspection, Herc realized that it was the same one they got nine hours ago.

"See the similarities?" The german glanced at him.

"It's still not enough." Herc shook his head, clearly unimpressed. On the screen behind him, a middle-aged Japanese man spoke.

"_**Dr. Gottlieb, we need information. Not data.**_" He said tersely.

"Data are a form of information, Commander Takara." Hermann glared at the screen before typing yet another command. On the display, the readouts were replaced by a large map of the Pacific Ocean. As he looked at it, Herc noticed two groups of red dots. One was clustered on the Middle America Trench. The other was slightly spread out near Mariannas Trench.

"As you can see, these were the signatures we had detected this morning." The scientist began. "If you noticed, most of them had gone in different directions before vanishing." He drew several arrows with his right hand. "In the west, at least two of them headed in the general direction of Mindanao, Philippines before vanishing. Two more headed somewhere north. One headed south near Australia, while the rest disappeared in central Pacific." On the hologram, Herc could see the arrows pointing in different directions.

"Meanwhile, to the east, these other eight didn't split up at first." Hermann continued with another gesture of his hand. "They headed west for at least 30 miles before half of them veered in a southern direction. As for the rest, they headed north before disappearing just like the others." He finished.

Herc frowned. "I don't see how this will help us determine what they might be, Dr. Gottlieb."

Hermann shook his head. "Marshall, these data gives us many clues about what they are. The similarity in signatures alone is enough to prove our theory."

"What we're saying," Newton added, "is that these things we detected are deliberately _avoiding_ detection."

"Deliberately?" Herc raised an eyebrow. "You make it sound like they are Kaijus."

"Because they are!" Newton said loudly. "The similarity between the signatures! The routes they took! The fact that they vanished from our radars!"

"_**But that's absurd!**_" Commander Takara exclaimed. "_**If they are indeed Kaijus, we should have been attacked already!**_"

"_**And you're also telling us that there are sixteen of them in total?**_" Commander Branston added skeptically.

Meanwhile, Herc sat back in silence and pondered what they just said. It seems rather unlikely though. After all, the largest group of Kaijus they had ever faced was three. And Branston was right, they should have been attacked as soon as they have emerged. Especially since the Eastern Breach was just 50 miles off the coast of Mexico.

"That's just it." Hermann said. "We believe that they can't attack us yet."

"What do you mean?" Herc asked. At this, he saw the german glanced at Newton uncertainly. For a moment, the two didn't said anything.

"You remember the Hong Kong incident three years ago?" Newton said at last, slightly hesitant.

"As clear as if it were yesterday." Herc slowly nodded. How could he not? Two of the best Jaegers and crews had met their end on that fateful night. And if not for Raleigh and Mako, him and his late son would have died too.

"Well, we think they are related to that baby Otachi." Newton said slowly.

"What do you mean?" Herc asked. However, even before Newton could reply, he already realized what he meant.

"The answer is rather simple, Marshall." Hermann replied. "The reason there is no attack yet is due to them having a high chance of being juveniles. That's how the Breach could spawn so many. Because they are small enough to pass through."

Stunned silence filled the room. With a grim expression, Herc leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. For several minutes, he didn't speak. He suddenly thought of all the Rangers that died defending the world. Of Chuck and Stacker's sacrifice. And how all of it seemed to be for nothing.

"And what does this mean for us, Dr. Gottlieb and Dr. Geiszler?" He finally opened his eyes and spoke.

Hermann shook his head. "We don't know yet. Since the Kaijus vanished without a trace, it will be difficult to find them. But not impossible. The only thing we can do for now is to prepare."

Herc nodded his head before turning around to face the Commanders.

"_**What are your orders, Marshall Hansen?**_" Branston asked. With a sigh, Herc answered.

"We prepare."

* * *

_February 6, 2029...  
300 miles east of Mindanao, Philippines_

A lone blue whale slowly swam on the endless ocean.

The whale was lost, having been seperated from his group a while back. And though he was alone, he was not bothered by those shark swimming a few miles from him. After all, at almost 100 feet in length, not even the Great White Shark will dare to harm him. The only threat to his kind would be a pod of Orcas. But that's unlikely since he was well away from their hunting spots.

As he continued to swim, he uttered a long cry as a signal for his group. Immediately, smaller sea creatures began to disperse to give way for the animal. With his large size, most of them were afraid of being eaten.

Except for two.

At a depth of 200 feet, the water was somewhat dark. And as the whale swam, he sensed two large creatures heading his way. Smaller than him, but bigger than the sharks in the area. Assuming them as juvenile whales, he released another long cry in greeting. However, instead of another whale's call, what he heard was a _growl_.

Unfamiliar with the sound, the blue whale suddenly felt terrified. With a moan, it changed direction, trying to get away as far as he could from the creatures. Suddenly, something swam right below and stopped in front of him.

With a cry of terror, the blue whale tried to change direction again. But before he could do so, he felt a searing pain in his flippers. He tried to swim, only to find another creature blocking his path.

The second creature then lunged straight at him. The whale tried to get away, but they were too strong.

With one last call for help, the largest animal on earth was soon dragged down into the darkest depths of the ocean.

* * *

**No whales were harmed during the making of this chapter. Just saying. XD**

**Anyway, if you guys haven't noticed, I changed the location of the second portal and made it closer to Mexico. I am not much into geography though, so please forgive me if there are errors and inaccuraccies. If anyone knows anything about trenches, feel free to correct me.**

**Now, time to answer your reciews.**

_avidreaded**: Really, man? Chibi Kaijus? Seriously? XD**_

_MaverickSawyer**: Hell yeah! Let's go fishing! :D**_

_SigmaBlack**: 1) No problem, please take your time. :) 2) I wouldn't say modular Kaijus, but you're right about that part regarding the Sentinels. As for the fact that they were bred/engineered a bit too fast, you have to remember that this story is set three to four years later. The Precursors would have been able to create them in that amount of time. And regarding the tempo of the attacks, I got something planned for that. :D 3) Actually, this story will only feature the Sentinels and Mark V-VI line of Jaegers. However, the next installment will feature all series from VI up to VIII. I already got the plot's outline, in fact. 4) No problem. :)**_

_Matrexmaster**: Sure! I'm actually still accepting entries.**_

**Alright, that's it. Sorry for the delay and short chapter. But you can expect another one by New Year's day. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas! :D**

**Now, time for me to watch Pacific Rim on HBO Asia! *cue epic main theme***


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

**Hello, everyone! In celebration of New Year, here's the next chapter!**

**And not only that! Today is a dual update! I got the next chapter of my **Transformers **fanfic posted.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_February 10, 2029..._

_Main Hall, Los Angeles Ranger Academy, 9:07am_

Cassey was bored.

For over an hour, she and her sister Cass were both standing at the Main Hall along with those who passed the first exam of the semester while waiting for Commander Branston to arrive. Most of them have just returned from their one-week break after the combat exam seven days prior.

With a sigh, she remembered how they all fared last week. It was brutal. For more than 14 hours, at least 3,000 students were tested by the Fightmasters in the art of Jaeger Bushido. Of those, more than 1,000 had dropped out even before the test had began. And by the time it was finished, only 850 had passed.

Which they were both fortunate to be part of.

However, Cassey knew that it was not over yet. The next phase of their curriculum would now focus on expanding their knowledge about all things related to Jaegers and Kaijus. And as she thought about it, she just realized how far she and her sister still have to go before they can be considered as Rangers.

"You know, we've been standing here for 1 hour, 11 minutes and 23 seconds already." Cass said rather impatiently beside her.

Cassey sighed. "Get use to it. We still have 5 more months to go." Around them, people were starting to complain too, but not because they were tired. After all, training rigorously for one month has increased their stamina and this was just a piece of cake for them. No, the reason that they were complaining was because of boredom. Forced to wait for an hour while standing, it was somewhat surprising that no one had suffered a mental breakdown already.

Compared to this, facing a Kaiju seems to be a better alternative.

Suddenly, the door on the far side of the raised platform in front of them opened. First to enter was one of the Fightmasters, Mr. Himura. A slim Japanese man at mid-forties, he taught them much about the art of Jaeger Bushido. Behind him came a blonde-haired woman in her early thirties, Ms. Wells. A British descent, she is a teacher of Kaiju anatomy and behaviour.

The third one to enter was a man in his late forties. Mr. Moore was a former Chief Engineer in the Jaeger Program. Now, he was teaching about the basic workings of a Jaeger as well as how to properly handle them.

The fourth one was a bald and lean man named Mr. Kingsley. A half-American and half-British, he was an Assault Specialist. His job is to teach the trainees on how to kill a Kaiju.

And last but not the least, the reason for their boredom.

Commander Eric Branston of Los Angeles Shatterdome.

Tall and broad-chested with sandy-blonde hair and a stern face, Commander Branston entered the room with an air of authority in him. Immediately, all conversation ceased as the group stopped in front of the students. Just one look at him, and Cassey knew that they will need to listen to every word he's going to say. People like Branston, there's no room for argument.

"Greetings everyone, and welcome back to the Los Angeles Ranger Academy." Branston said with an impassive expression. "I trust that everything was good during your one-week break?"

Murmurs broke out among the gathered trainees, with most of them saying "No".

"Not bad. Considering we just spent one month of training non-stop for fourteen hours a day and six days a week." Cass muttered beside her sister.

Cassey rolled her eyes. Of the two of them, Cass was just slightly more mature. At least, to her. However, she also complains a lot more than her. An attitude that was sometimes a bit tiresome.

"At least, it's over now." Cassey reminded before focusing her attention back at Commander Branston.

"Now, I guess you're all wondering why it took 1 hour, 18 minutes and 36 seconds for us to arrive and stand before you." The man said with a slight smirk. "The truth is, we've been here for more than two hours already. Long before all of you entered this room."

Cries of shock and outrage immediately rang throughout the room.

"But, Commander! That's unfair!" One trainee protested.

"Yeah! We could have just use that time on learning rather than waiting." A second trainee said. As for the twins, they just shook their heads in disbelief.

"That's totally unfair!" Cass whispered in frustration. "We spent more than an hour standing here like idiots!" Around them, similar sentences were shouted at Commander Branston.

Surprisingly, the man remained calm all throughout their protests. However, Cassey could noticed a slight hint of irritation in his face. Before things got out of control, Branston raised his hand in a placating manner.

"Calm down, everybody." He said. "All will be explained soon."

Gradually, the noises died down until at last, their attention was again focused on him. With a nod of satisfaction, Commander Branston spoke once more.

"First things first," He raised an index finger, "look behind you on the far side of this room."

Frowning in confusion, they complied nonetheless and glanced behind them. At first, they don't know what they should be looking at. And then, Cassey saw it. Cleverly hidden on one corner, though not too much that no one would see it, was a small black object with a lens on the front and placed on a metal arm.

A security camera.

"We've been monitoring your actions and behaviour in a separate room, trainees." Commander Branston explained. "For more than an hour, we have watched how all of you will do in a closed environment without doing anything except converse with each other."

"But why?" Cassey finally spoke. She was also confused. There's no reason for them to do that. They all know how to behave properly. At least, she and her sister do.

Branston stared at her intensely for a moment, before gesturing with his hand.

"Mr. Himura, if you please." The commander motioned forward. Immediately, the Japanese man bowed respectfully before speaking.

"Patience is a virtue, this you all know." He said, scanning them over with his piercing gaze. "During a fight with a Kaiju, patience doesn't matter. You must act swift and fast to bring it down and kill it. However," He paused briefly, "patience comes into play when you are waiting for your opponent to arrive." Himura then glanced at Branston who nodded and spoke once again.

"As a Ranger and Jaeger pilot, your mission will not only test your skills, but your patience as well." Commander Branston said. "During an attack, you must endure the long hours of merely standing at your designated position while waiting for the Kaiju. You cannot eat. You cannot sleep. You cannot even piss." He said. A lot of murmurs broke out again at hearing this.

"You will be forced to wait inside your Conn-Pod without doing practically anything." Branston continued. "And I can tell you now, trainees. It won't be easy. That's why some pilots like the late Kaidonovskys always bring their music player. For these kind of situations."

Cassey and many others nodded. It was widely known that the Kaidonovskys had a music player inside Cherno Alpha's Conn-Pod. In fact, it was said that even in the middle of combat, the Russian husband and wife duo were listening to rock music.

"Hence," Branston spoke again, "we have done this simple test. To see if all of you can manage. And so far, you did. However," He raised a finger for emphasis, "this is not the last time it will happen. After all, Kaiju attacks do not happen only once."

They all groaned at this. Of course, they should have already expected it. The PPDC was meant to break their spirit, they will not be lenient to them.

"With that in mind, I expect everyone to always be prepared." Branston looked at them sternly. "Just like a real attack, this kind of test will happen when you least expect it. With varying lengths. And I want all of you to keep it cool together when it happens. Understood?"

"Yes sir." Cassey and the rest answered.

"Good. Now, I believe it's time for more important matters." Branston clasped his hands together. "Those who stands before me are the ones who passed last week's exams." He smiled slightly. "Congratulations, trainees."

They all sighed. Finally, Commander Branston has said what they have all been waiting "I thought he has forgotten about that already." Cass grumbled.

"Anyway, I know you are all getting bored, so I'm going to keep this short." Branston said. "This month will focus on expanding your knowledge about everything related to Jaegers and Kaijus. 'Knowing is half the battle', it was said. At the end of this month will be another exam. And after that, you will proceed to the next phase: Drift compatibility and Pons training. But for now, don't worry about it. That phase is still far off and your focus should be on the current one. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Commander." They chorused.

Branston nodded. "That's it then. Again, our congratulations to all trainees."

With that, Commander Branston finally left, leaving them together with the teachers. With a sigh, Cassey looked at her sister and spoke.

"This is going to be a long month."

...

_Classroom 2A, Main Wing, Los Angeles Ranger Academy, 11:37am_

"Alright, who can tell me the very basics about Kaiju Blue?" Ms. Wells asked.

Cassey and Cass immediately raised both of their hands. They were sitting behind their individual desks, along with other seventy-eight trainees, on a room similar to a University classroom. Large glass windows were on one side of the wall, giving them a view of the ocean and part of Los Angeles city. To their front, a large screen with their teacher, Ms. Wells, standing beside it was showing a glass container with something bluish inside it.

"Ms. Cassey, Ms. Cass, I can only choose one." Ms. Wells said with a slightly amused expression.

Cassey glanced briefly at her sister, who merely shrugged before sitting back on her seat. With a smile, Cassey answered the question.

"Kaiju blood, or Kaiju Blue as it is always referred to, is a highly toxic and corrossive type of blood only found on Kaijus. It can easily contaminate the surrounding area, especially any bodies of water, and can make them very harmful. When left unattended, it can evaporate into Blue Mist and pollutes the air. A person who have enhaled it will soon enter into shock and die after a few hours if no remedies are administered." She said all of these in one breath, making her gasp for air afterwards. When she sat back down, her sister subtly gave her a thumbs up sign.

"Good explanation, Ms. Cassey Anderson." Their teacher nodded approvingly. "Kaiju Blue is the blood of Kaijus. Unlike most creatures, however, they are known to be able to survive even if they lose plenty of it. Furthermore, there is some evidence that the Cat IV Kaiju Otachi was actually using her blood as a corrossive weapon, which she used to melt the head of Cherno Alpha."

Ms. Wells grabbed a remote from her desk and pressed a button. On the screen, a video started to play. It seems to be taken from the air during night time, in the middle of a storm. In the distance, a city filled with tall buildings and neon lights can be seen.

Suddenly, a loud horn was heard. The view immediately panned to the right and shows a gigantic mass of metal with arms, legs and a huge head tearing through the water and approaching a giant serpent-like beast with a sac under its neck, twin crests on the snout and a long tail tipped with three prehensile pincers.

"Holy shit, is that _Cherno Alpha_ and Otachi?!" One trainee shouted. Even as he said it, they watched with a mixture of awe and horror as the Kaiju snarled and vomit a stream of blue liquid straight at _Cherno_'s reactor. As the acid touches the hard steel, it began to eat away the head rapidly, exposing the insides and making the searchlight crumble into the ocean. The Kaiju immediately lunged, biting the Jaeger's right hand. As _Cherno Alpha_ raised a fist to smash Otachi's head, Ms. Wells pressed another button and the video stopped playing.

"I believe I do not need to show you all what happened after that." She said with a sympathetic look on all of them.

Cassey glanced around and realized that all of them looked deathly pale and somewhat spooked. Beside her, Cass slowly drummed her fingers against the table, a habit she always does whenever something scares her.

"Now, as you can see in this video, the acid was strong enough to melt through the thick armor." Ms. Wells said. "Based on Dr. Newton Geiszler's research himself, there was something in its sac that enables the blood to become more potent." She explained and pressed another button. On the screen, the video was replaced with a diagram showing Otachi's head and its sac.

"Unfortunately, even after three years, it's still unknown what that chemical or catalyst is. The other ones doesn't possess this special ability, and the baby itself was undeveloped to have a sac. Hopefully though, we won't have another Kaiju attack just to find out." She smiled slightly and clapped her hands. "Now, I think that's it for today. Tomorrow, we will discuss different body types of Kaijus and their similarities. Good day, everyone. Class dismissed."

Cassey and Cass exited the classroom along with the other trainees. All around them, people were discussing what they just learned and saw. As they headed in the cafeteria's direction, Cassey noticed her sister walking silently beside her with a distant expression.

"Hey sis, are you okay?" She asked with concern. She knew that look. Every time Cass was bothered, she would always have that look.

"Do you think we made a mistake by joining here?" Cass spoke softly, stopping in her tracks and gazing down at the floor.

"What makes you say that?" Cassey replied. But she already knew the answer.

"You saw the video, Cassey." Cass said. "If we pass and become a Ranger, we might suffer the same thing."

Cassey sighed. Of course, her sister will be scared. What they just watched was only a video, and yet it already unsettled them. What more if it's real?

"Do you want to quit?" She asked gently. She saw Cass hesitate, shifting in her feet.

"I... I don't know." She mumbled. "I want to make Mom and Dad proud. But I think I'm scared. I mean, we could die." She lifted her head and stared directly at Cassey's blue eyes. "You could die." Cass said, her eyes starting to brim with tears.

"Hey look, it'll be okay." Cassie soothed her and wiped away her sister's tears. "We still have five months left, remember? A lot can still happen." She said. "Besides, if ever we pass, we won't be alone in facing a Kaiju." But even as she said it, Cassey knew there's a high risk of fatality. The Hong Kong incident has proven that no matter how experienced you are, that's not a guarantee that you'll survive.

"I guess so." Cass muttered. "I'm just put off by that video, that's all."

"Don't worry, you're not the only one." Cassey chuckled slightly. Then she smiled. "So, shall we continue our way to the cafeteria?"

"Oh yeah." She grumbled. "I'm hungry."

They both suddenly laughed at this before finally heading to the cafeteria.

* * *

_February 12, 2029...  
Unspecified Beach, Davao, Mindanao, Philippines, 2:13pm_

Newton Geislzer stared at the remains of a blue whale in shock.

Just two nights ago, one of his colleagues called him and relayed a news about a 90-feet long whale found dead on a beach in Mindanao, Philippines. At first, he had dismissed it. Blue whales were occassionally being found there, either stranded or caught by local fishermen. However, when he was told that the whale was found with most of its flesh torn, he got curious and immediately caught a flight and flew there.

Now, as he stood there while local authorities secure the area, he felt a chill crawl down his spine. At almost a hundred feet, only a few ocean predators dares to hunt blue whales. Most of the time, it's the sharks. But as far as he knew, no shark in these parts were big enough to take down a large creature such as this.

He took a closer look, inspecting the carcass. Most of it was gone, the lower half missing and the head barely recognizable. As for the organs, well, he couldn't call them that anymore. More like a mass of flesh mixed together and shredded to bits. To him, it seems the whale was mauled... and _eaten_.

Newton shivered. Whatever did this to the mammal, it was no shark or any sea creature known. For one, there were no predators large enough to inflict such damages. Judging by the looks of it, teeth and claws were used. And no animal in the ocean has that.

Except for one. And even then, he doubt if _they_ should be called animals.

Suddenly, his phone rang. He quickly answered and spoke.

"Hello?"

"_**Newton!**_" The unmistakable voice of Hermann said. "_**Newton! This is important!**_"

"Hermann? What is it?" Newton frowned. "I'm in the middle of something."

The german scientist grumbled at the other end. "_**Whatever you're doing, forget it. This is much more important!**_" He said urgently. "_**Remember those two Kaijus we detected heading south?**_"

"Uh, yeah." Newton replied. "Why?" He asked nervously. And as Hermann answered, he almost dropped his phone in terror.

"_**Our satellites has just detected them again. They are hiding somewhere in Davao, Philippines!**_"

* * *

**I'm from the Philippines. Just saying. XD**

**Which reminds me. I really found it somewhat odd that GdT had used our country as the location for the second attack. :D Though I could somewhat understand why. After all, Philippines is the closest one in Marianas Trench.**

**Anyway, as you may have noticed, the main focus of this story are the trainees in the Ranger Academy. With the threat of these "Wild" Kaijus as backdrop. Of course, for now, it's my OCs who are getting the spotlight. However, gradually, I will introduce your submitted characters. :)**

**By the way, I hope you all like my own interpretation of the Jaeger Academy's curriculum. Actually, it was inspired by "Aurora Borealis", another PR fanfic. However, I am in no way copying any of that. I merely got the ideas from canon sources and combined it with my personal take.**

**Also, I changed some minor things in some chapters. Especially the whale's length. Sorry for the inaccuracy. XD**

**Now, time to answer your reviews.**

_avidreaded**: My apologies. Given that we only have one movie to draw inspiration from, I'm using original ideas that my mind always comes up to use in this story. However, you do not have to worry. The story will soon pick up. :)**_

_Matrexmaster**: No problem!**_

_SigmaBlack**: Soon, you'll see your babies. Happy New Year!**_

_BlueLightningStorm**: 1) Sorry for that! I thought blue whales are that large. My bad! XD 2) Regarding the turbine, I understand your point. However, I'd also,like to point out that this is not the TRUE Gipsy Danger. Merely an armor that resembles it. The real second one will show up. But you will have to wait for that moment to arrive. :)**_

**Anyway, I forgot to mention that I made a mistake on my poll. I didn't placed the correct choices. XD**

**But it's fixed now. The poll will be extended up January 7 for this reason. Again, please vote whether you want a faster update with less content or slower update with more on it. :)**

**Now, I have a BIG announcement.**

**To celebrate New Year's Eve, if you check my profile page right now, you'll find the publish dates of all my upcoming stories for THIS YEAR!**

**That's right, I'll be doing a one-shot and at least four other series. Most of which will be sequels. :)**

**Hopefully, I can manage my time. But I know I can make it, especially with all your support! :D**

**By the way, I need some bits of advice. My 21st birthday will arrive soon. And since it's an important event for me and my family, we will have a big celebration. However, I can't decide what should I ask my Auntie and Uncle for a gift.**

PS3** or **PS4**?**

**There are so many games on the former that I'm dying to play. Kingdom Hearts Remixes, Final Fantasy X/X-2 Remasters, Final Fantasy XIII series, Pacific Rim, and so much more.**

**HOWEVER, PS4 has something that I've been waiting for a long time already.**

_KINGDOM HEARTS III._

**Can someone help me choose? :(**

.

.

.

**Alright, sorry for that. But anyway, I hope that 2015 will be good for all of us! :D**

**New friends, new challenges and new stories! This is **_StoryMakerr014_** wishing you all a Happy New Year! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

**Okay, you guys deserved another explanation.**

**Before everything else though, I will have to tell you a tiny bit of info about me because much of what I'll tell you won't make sense if I didn't.**

**For fifteen years, I have a tracheostomy tube in my neck, allowing me to breathe. Naturally, I also have a respirator machine to help me sleep properly.**

**Still with me? Okay, now for my long explanation.**

**First, I took a 1-week New Year break from writing after my last update. Supposedly, this chapter should have been up by January 11 or 12, along with my Transformers.**

**I wasn't able to do that.**

**On January 8, I had a flu. Nothing major. I mean, I always have it every time December-January comes. It's like a yearly event or something for me. XD**

**Anyway, I drank the usual medicine prescribed to me. A strong antibiotic and some decongestant.**

**It didn't worked. For the first time, it just didn't.**

**On January 9, I couldn't eat anymore. I lost my appetite. I couldn't cough out the phlegm. I couldn't breathe, couldn't relax even with the help of my respirator. In fact, it was so bad that I was already taking air directly from the machine rather than it giving me air on a regular basis. And it was really bad to the point that every breathe I take pains my lungs. I even wanted to puke despite eating only a few mouthfuls.**

**By 11pm on that same day, I was rushed on the hospital. Fifteen minutes after we arrived, it even got worst. My oxygen level fell down below 75-76. My blood pressure was as high as 200/180. My fever was at 38. They strapped various apparatus on me. Cardiac monitor. Some automated blood pressure thingy. A pulse oxemeter. And what else? Hmmm...**

**Oh yeah! The worst of them. An IV line on my left hand. XD**

**So, that's that. Including my respirator, I looked like a human Christmas tree. Except it was not fun. AT ALL. They did various tests on me. ECG. X-Ray. Blood chem. But they couldn't be certain of the problem. My pulmonologist thought it was pnuemonia or something. Except it was not yet full-bloom.**

**Yeah. You read it right. What I just experienced was not a full-bloomed pnuemonia. XD**

**Anyway, I stayed on a monitoring room for at least 12-15 hours. Fearing it might get worst, they immediately used an extremely potent antibiotic. By noon on Jan 10, I was feeling slightly better. My appetite finally returned, though I could only eat a few sips of soup. By 4pm, I was finally transferred on a private room. ****Which was too small. 16 sq m at best. Including the bathroom.**

**A total bummer.**

**So, yeah. The treatment was continued there. For two more days, I have nothing to do but watch Pacific Rim on a too small TV. Like, 16 inches small. Mount that on a wall 10 feet away from my bed, and you'll get the idea.**

**One of the worst days of my life. Watching giant robots punching giant monsters on a f***king small TV. T_T**

**Fortunately though, one side of my room is filled with glass windows. During those times I wasn't watching or sleeping, I was staring at the clouds roll by. Why, I even saw a chowhound-shaped cloud morphed into Garfield which shifted into an Arcanine which transformed into Appa from The Last Airbender! Best part was when I saw a giant cloud formation that FREAKINGLY looked like Charizard's head!**

**Hell yeah!**

**Cut to two days later, I was feeling really better. But no! My hospital adventure didn't end there! They decided to take a phlegm sample from me to determine the cause of my illness. You know how they had done it? ****By plunging an awfully long suction tube on my nose right down on my throat.**

**Horrible.**

**Anyway, on that same day, I finally returned home! :D**

**For a week, I did nothing but rest and watch our country's live cov****erage of Pope Francis' visit. By 18, I was finally able to find the strength to write once again! :D**

**All I can say now though, is that I'm back. I'm alive.**

**I'M HERE! *cue gunfire and Autobots Reunite theme***

**And so, without further ado, here's your much awaited update!**

* * *

_February 12, 2029...  
LOCCENT Mission Control, Hong Kong Shatterdome, 3:27pm_

Marshal Hercules Hansen was completely baffled. Just two hours ago, they detected two Kaiju signatures right on an island several miles southeast of mainland Davao, Philippines.

Two Kaijus. Getting past under their very nose.

He still couldn't believe it. How can two large monsters reach land without them or any of the locals noticing it? There should have been signs. Dead people or animals or any of that. And even if they were juveniles, he doubt if they would be that small to avoid detection.

"Sir, Strike Group Hong Kong is now approaching the target zone." Tendo Choi announced from his console. "ETA: 13 minutes."

Herc sighed in relief. The past two hours have been quite tensed for them. They don't know when or where the Kaijus will attack, forcing them to send the entire Strike Group of Hong Kong. They still haven't issued any warnings yet though in the hopes of neutralizing the threats without making the citizens panic. Besides, Herc fears that the sirens might just disturb the Kaijus and prompt them to attack the nearest town or city.

"What about the bogeys?" He asked. "What's their location now?"

"Still on the same spot where we had first detected them." Tendo replied. "They seem to be staying close together."

Herc creased his brows in worry. The fact that the two monsters have not seperated yet sounds bad. Fortunately though, it will be easier for them to kill the two as they already know where they are. Unfortunately, they still couldn't discern just how large are they or what their category is due to the dense forest preventing their sensors from properly detecting them.

Suddenly, the intercom crackled to life.

"_**Unit 01 to LOCCENT, we are approaching target zone.**_" A female voice said.

Vanessa Smith. Former pilot of the Mark-4 _Shining Titan_ along with her husband, Jason. Now, they serve as the pilot of Sentinel Unit 01 along with two other pairs from the first batch of graduates in Hong Kong Ranger Academy.

"LOCCENT to Unit 01," Herc answered, "we read you. Just remember; stay cautious. We don't know what they look like or how large are they."

"_**Copy that.**_" Vanessa answered. "**_We_**-"

"Kaiju signatures moving!" Tendo cried from his seat. Immediately, Herc rushed to his side and saw that he was correct; two red blips are fast heading northwest. He quickly glanced on the other side of the holographic map and noticed three green dots approaching the island from the east.

"Unit 01, do you copy?" Herc said through a mike. "Bogeys have suddenly began to move! You must intercept them now!"

"_**Copy that, LOCCENT.**_" The female Ranger acknowledge grimly. "**_Disengaging_** _**transport.**_"

"How fast are they moving and what's their route?" Herc asked Tendo.

"At least a 150 kph." The LOCCENT officer replied after looking at a bunch of readings. "It looks like they are heading towards the ocean."

Not good.

"Alert all cities and towns within a hundred-mile radius! Tell them to evacuate _NOW_!"

...

A car drove along the road with Newton Geiszler at the back seat. He shouldn't be here. He can't be here.

Just after Hermann called him to relay the news about two Kaijus within the area, he immediately called for a taxi to take him back to the airport. He knew deep inside that the Precursors have not yet forgotten about him. And he was very certain that due to the Hive mentality, all Kaijus have the basic instict to hunt him and Hermann own.

Which only means that he shouldn't really be here.

He glanced fearfully at the ocean to their left. The road they took was along the coastlines, much to his displeasure. To the right was a row of buildings. Houses, markets and several others. People were milling about doing their businesses, unaware yet of the current danger. Meanwhile, in the distance, Newt saw something that will surely get him killed.

Traffic.

He groaned, glancing at the ocean once more. He could see two islands on the horizon. One was big with a wide expanse of beach while a small one was hidden partially to its left. For a brief terrifying moment, he thought he saw the trees on the smaller one shook until he realized it was just his mind playing tricks on him.

Or was it? He doesn't know. He was too scared to know.

They soon reached the tail end of the traffic. He glanced anxiously at his watch and saw that it was already past 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The next flight would be at 6:09pm, a mere two hours away. But judging by the traffic, he might not be able to reach the airport.

Suddenly, he heard an all too familiar siren. A sound that hasn't been heard since 2024.

A Kaiju warning signal.

* * *

_Talicud Island, 40 miles southeast off mainland Davao, Philippines, 4:23pm_

Sentinel 01 waded through the water, the mech's stride smooth yet urgent. Trailing slowly behind, 03 scanned the area for any movements. The two were just coming up from the north, having dropped earlier than their pilots intended to. They were suppose to cut off and intercept the two Kaijus from the front while 02 comes from the other side, behind the targets. A good plan, except for the fact that most of the island was covered in trees, preventing a proper visual.

Soon, they reached the shoreline and the two Sentinels stopped.

Vanessa Smith surveyed the area along with her husband. The trees were not really that tall, probably at 50-60 feet at best, but their leaves and branches were so thick. Anything hiding in there could remain hidden without them noticing it.

With a sigh, Vanessa pressed a button on their console and spoke.

"01 to 02, what's your status?" She asked.

"_**02 to 01, we are 4 miles southeast of your location.**_" A man replied. "**_No sign of the bogeys._**"

Vanessa shook her head in confusion. Inside the Drift, she could feel that her husband was just as mystified. By this point, the Kaijus should have attacked already.

"LOCCENT, do you copy? No sign of the targets." She said. A few minutes passed before they received an answer.

"_**That's impossible. The targets are just at the edge of the tree line.**_" Tendo said, his voice tinny over the radio. "_**Right in front of you.**_"

Vanessa glanced uncertainly at her husband. His face wore the same confusion that was etched upon hers. It was very unusual for a Kaiju not to attack, especially if it's a threat. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Suddenly, the trees in front of them shook violently.

Unit 01 immediately shifted into a battle stance, it's servos raised in a defensive manner. Behind them, Unit 03's mortar cannons swiveled into the direction of the disturbance, ready to fire as soon as the targets were on sight. For a brief tensed moment, they waited. However, nothing came. No Kaiju. No monster.

"Er, honey?" John finally spoke after remaining silent during the entire time. "I think it's just-" He stopped in mid-sentence as soon as he saw the legs.

As the Kaiju fully emerged from hiding, they finally got a good view of it.

It looked like a cross between a wolf, a lizard and a dinosaur combined. The creature walked on all fours, with powerful muscular limbs and razor sharp claws on each of it's three-toed foot. Upon closer inspection, they realized that one of the digits in each foot is smaller but slightly bigger.

A thumb.

Its body is sleek like a wolf, but covered in thick hides with red bioluminiscent veins running all over them. Spikes protrude from its back while its long tail swished back and forth. The neck was short but strong. The head was shaped roughly triangular with two sets of glowing yellow eyes on the front. It also has a short snout, with a strong lower jaw filled with rows of sharp teeth.

However, it was the size that gave them pause.

The Kaiju was the smallest one they encountered so far in their whole career as Rangers. It was only 50-feet long at best, standing no higher than 35-feet. Possibly even less that. In fact, it was so small that it barely reach the Sentinel's knees. No wonder they had a hard time seeing or even detecting it. Its size allows it to perfectly hide in the terrain.

It stalked closer to them, its upper lip curling into a snarl.

Being the Strike Group Leaders, Vanessa and John was about to issue a command as well as contact LOCCENT for any new information when another movement caught their attention.

The second Kaiju emerged growling and stopped beside the first one, glaring menacingly at them.

The sight of it made Vanessa and John stepped back in shock, the Sentinel mirroring their action. Its appearance. They stared at it with wide eyes.

_Because the second Kaiju looked clearly identical to the first one._

It was no clone though. They knew it because the veins were colored yellow while the eyes were red. A reverse of the first one.

Realization hit them like a brick smashing into their head. So hard that they spoke as one.

"Oh my God... They are twins."

* * *

**Cliffhanger! XD**

**And yeah, that was kinda short. But don't worry, the next one will longer. And if you have already assumed by now, IT WILL HAVE A FIGHT SCENE! :D**

**HELL YEAH!**

**By the way, Vanessa and John Smith are two OCs submitted by **_Neo Dragon X_**. If you are reading this, I hope I did okay! :) I have changed their introduction a bit though.**

**Now, time to answer your reviews.**

_avidreaded**: Hmmm... I'm not really a big fan of Xbox. Plus, I'm going for the games. Not the consoles. :D**_

_Matrexmaster**: I don't know when, but I can tell you that they will appear.**_

_SigmaBlack**: 1) lol Actually, I lived in the cities up north. So, no. My house won't get destroyed. :p 2) Yeah. That's why I did a rewrite. Because of that. :) 3) Don't worry, your beloved "children" will appear. I'll introduce more characters as the story advances, so expect some of them to appear very soon. As for the Jaegers, well, can't say anything about them yet. The focus of this fic right now is to establish the characters for my Pacific Rim 2. But, we'll see. 4) Actually, I have a PS2 Emulator. Sadly, my laptop broke. *sobs***_

_RStyle**: 1) Thanks! 2) Definitely, Brazil will suffer an attack. I just couldn't say when. But they will.**_

_kseitshiro from south africa**: Thanks! And yes, I'm still accepting. :)**_

**By the way, our poll has officially ended on January 7. Based on the result, expect the next update within the next 4-5 days. :D**

**Also, I'm still accepting Jaegers. This time though, you could submit either a Mark-8 or a Mark-9. I need at least four of each.**

**But wait! There's more!**

**What's a Jaeger without a Kaiju?**

**I'll be introducing 16 monsters in this one. Two of which are already here. I have at least five more OC Kaijus of my own making and another four more submitted to me. That's 11 now. That means I need five more, which YOU guys will submit. Please check my profile for the format.**

**Just remember, use your imagination to make your Jaeger or Kaiju as unique as possible. We don't want similarities to the canon ones.**

**Some bits of announcement too. Because of what happened to me this month, all the release dates of my upcoming stories will be pushed back by a month. Including Pacific Rim 2. :(**

**One more thing I forgot to add. Talicud Island is actually a tourist spot in our country. Complete with a resort. However, in this fic, it's been abandoned already. Hence, the lack of people. :)**

**And that's it! Again, sorry for the delay!**

**Please Read &amp; Review!**

**Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

**Sorry for the delay. We lost our internet connection for two days and we just got it back today.** **XD**

**Anyway, as promised, here's the next chapter!**

* * *

Vanessa and Jason stared at the Kaijus with wide eyes.

Twins. _They were twins._ The very first Kaiju twins mankind has encountered. The two were so shocked and rooted on the spot that they failed to immediately act when the two monsters snarled together and raced towards their direction. With a jolt, they frantically shifted into a defensive stance as they waited for the monsters to attack them

But it didn't happened.

Instead, the Twins swiftly darted under their legs, displaying a speed that no Kaiju has ever shown before. They tried to grab the tails, but the duo were too fast for them. Thinking they will attack from behind, Vanessa and Jason spun around as fast as they could. Only too late did they realized that they were not the target.

"03, watch out!" Jason shouted a warning through the radio.

Fortunately, the Artillery Armor which was being used by 03 was light enough for quick manuevers. As one of the Kaijus, the one with the red veins, leapt at its front, the mech quickly shielded itself with its left arm and blocked the assault with the monster landing on the servo.

Angered at this, the monster snarled in fury and sank its teeth on the armor, the metal slowly bending under the pressure. Meanwhile, the other twin clamped its jaws on the mech's left leg, tugging at it forcefully and crushing the armor plates. 03 tried to shake off the duo, but their hold was too strong.

"_**Fuck! They are worst than a Rottweiler!**_" One of the pilots cursed.

Fearing for their comrade's safety, Vanessa and Jason immediately ran to their aid. At once, the Kaiju on 03's left leg released its hold and swiftly spun around to intercept them. While this was happening, the one on the arm dropped down on the beach and tugged with a strength equal to a Category III. 03 tried to shake the creature off again, but the monster's jaw was still firmly locked on its servo. Aside from this, 03's left leg was starting to give in as the struts holding it upright were severely damaged.

And then, it happened.

Groaning in protest, the Sentinel finally dropped on one knee. Using this as an advantage, 03 punched the Kaiju on its left side with all the strength it could manage. As its fist slammed into it, the Kaiju growled but kept its jaw tightly shut on the arm. 03 then tried for its head, its servos connecting with a resounding boom. But the monster stubbornly refused to release its hold. Trying for a different tactic, the Sentinel reached for the tail, but the Kaiju merely sidestepped in the other direction and have the mech partially lose its balance, forcing it to kneel on both knees.

Meanwhile, Vanessa and Jason were also having a hard time against their own opponent.

As soon as it reached them, it quickly went straight under their legs. Again, they tried to grab the tail. But its small size proves a disadvantage to them as they failed once more. Turning around, they saw the Kaiju snarling at them from several hundred yards away.

As if it was _taunting_ them.

Inside the Driftspace, Vanessa shared her hesitancy with her husband. If they turned their backs and help 03, that will make them vulnerable to a rear attack. But if they engage the Kaiju, that will leave their comrade alone. Something they couldn't do.

And then, they saw it.

Just a mile away, its legs hidden by the trees, Unit 02 was making its way to their position as fast as it could.

"_**Hang on, guys! We are on our way!**_" One of 02's pilots said through the intercom.

At last, a backup. Vanessa and Jason thought at the same time.

No longer needing to choose, they brought their arms down with a shout. Immediately, 01's Chainswords slid down, momentarily flopping before straightening out into a rigid form. With a predatory gleam in their eyes, the two began to slowly approach the Kaiju.

However, something wrong happened.

With a growl, the Kaiju glanced behind and saw 02 approaching. It then looked back in their direction and snarled. Immediately, its twin released 03 from its hold and kicked up a large amount of sand in the Sentinel's Conn-Pod before rushing to its sibling's position, leaving the mech practically blinded.

"_**This is 03!**_" The pilots cried as they tried to dislodge the sands by shaking the Conn-Pod. "_**We have no visual! I repeat, we have no visual!**_"

For a moment, Vanessa and Jason thought that the two monsters would attack them from two directions and they quickly spun around in the hopes of catching one of them with their swords. However, the Kaiju merely dodged the attack as it raced in the direction of the trees. With another snarl, its other twin turned around and swiftly followed it.

The couple thought the twins were actually fleeing, and they released a sigh of relief. Not a moment too soon, however, did they realized their true purpose.

The trees will offer the Kaijus protection, enabling them to attack without being seen. Unfortunately, the trees would also limit the movement speed of any mechs crossing it.

_Unit 02 was in danger._

"02, the Kaijus are heading your way! Get out of there now!" Vanessa screamed even as she and her husband put all their strength and effort in running to their comrade's aid. They crashed through the trees, the Sentinel's hydraulics and engines working double time to give the mech the speed it needed. But they knew it was futile. The monsters were too fast.

In the distance, 02 stopped and readied itself for a fight. Its pilots could see the direction the Kaijus were taking. The violent shaking of the trees was a dead giveawy of that. Swiftly, the monsters neared, until the shaking ceased. For a moment, 02's Conn-Pod swiveled and glanced around, searching for the targets.

And that's when something yanked its hands down.

The pull was so strong that the Sentinel collapsed on the ground with a loud crash, supporting itself with both hands and knees. It tried to get up, but one of the creatures slammed into its right side, toppling the mech on its back and concealing it from view.

"_**Shit! This is 02! We need-AAAAAHHHHHHH!**_"

Vanessa and Jason heard this as they headed straight for the downed Sentinel. On the spot where it had fallen, the trees shook violently for awhile until it started to move away from their location, heading to the other side.

02's pilots was never heard again after that.

"LOCCENT, this is 01." Jason said through the intercom with rising panic in his voice. "The Kaijus are escaping. We are fast approaching 02, but they are not responding. We-"

"_**01, this is Marshal Hansen.**_" A voice answered grimly. "_**You may stand down now.**_"

Vanessa and Jason never objected to that as soon as they reached 02. They already have a clue what happened. The body was still mostly intact, with the arms slightly crushed. But it was the Conn-Pod's state that confirmed their worst fear.

It was located several feet away, torn in two and badly crushed.

...

_LOCCENT Mission Control, Hong Kong Shatterdome, 4:15pm_

Silence engulfed the room, the people staring at the screen showing the remains of Unit 02. Some of the personnels have their heads bowed, no doubt praying for the souls of the deceased Rangers.

"What about the Twins?" Herc asked with a grim expression. Despite their recent loss, he knew that they must keep going, especially now that the Kaijus have escaped.

"We just lost their signal in the ocean, sir." Tendo replied.

Herc sighed. They have to find them soon before they could attack another city. The cunning intelligence and exceptional speed they have displayed today were proof enough that these were no ordinary Kaijus. And if they were still juveniles, he doesn't want to know what they will be like when they fully grow.

He pushed the thought at the back of his mind. One problem at a time. For now, their focus should be on the surviving Rangers and Sentinels.

"Send a retrieval team to that island." Herc said. "I want all Sentinels back on their hangars and repaired as soon as possible. Contact all Shatterdome Commanders as well as Raleigh and Mako and tell them we will have an emergency meeting tonight at 11pm. Get Dr. Schoenfield, Dr. Gotlieb and Dr. Geiszler too. We will need them for this."

"Sir, what about the Rangers' families?" Tendo asked quietly. "What should we tell them?"

Herc sighed and answered in a soft voice. "Tell them that their sons had fought bravely."

With that, the Marshal slowly walked away towards the exit.

* * *

_Common Room, East Wing Dormitory, Los Angeles Ranger Academy, 6:00pm_

A large group of cadets huddled together as the six o'clock news started.

"_Breaking news! For the first time in four years after the Breach was sealed, a double Kaiju attack occured in Mindanao, Philippines! The monsters, identified as twins, destroyed a Sentinel and damaged another one before escaping back into the sea. According to preliminary statements from the PPDC itself, the Twins were part of a larger group of Kaijus that emerged, unbeknownst to the public, earlier this month from two newly opened Breaches. They have reassured though that they are doing everything they can to track the monsters down._"

A series of footage was shown as the news anchor was saying this, most of them taken from the air. First was a small island surrounded by white beaches. Second was two identical Kaijus running to the ocean. A third shows a Sentinel without its Conn-Pod lying in the middle of a clearing. A fourth shows two other Sentinels being airlifted, one of them having a crushed leg.

"_Meanwhile, riots broke out across the surrounding Pan Pacific countries as soon as the information that the UN purposedly kept this a secret to the public spreads. So far, the UN Council hasn't yet release an official statement. In other news..._"

Cassey, Cass and a bunch of other cadets sighed as they turned off the television and gathered at the lounge area to discuss the recent events.

"What do you guys think will happen now?" Cassey wondered aloud.

"Simple. Either they increase the production of more Sentinel units or they restart the Jaeger Program early." Joe Mason, 25, Canadian born and one of the most annoying cadet in the East Wing replied with a shrug.

"But we all saw it," A guy at the back said, "the Sentinels are obviously not strong enough." Murmurs of agreement broke among some of them.

"That, or the Kaijus were just stronger and smarter." Jonathan Gail, 29, American and former football player said. "I mean, strategically speaking, the terrain was in favor of them." A lot of heads nodded at this.

"Or the pilots were stupid." Joe snorted then yelped as several pillows sailed in his direction.

"Watch your mouth, bro." Joe's younger brother, Gary, said.

"I was just stating my opinion." Joe grumbled.

"Nobody is asking your opinion, Joe." Cassey scoffed.

Joe blinked. "You did." He pointed out.

"Me? I certainly didn't!" Cassey said with an incredelous look.

"You did." Joe insisted. " 'What do you guys think will happen now' was your exact words." Beside him, Gary covered his mouth as he tried not to laugh.

"That was not meant for you, moron!" Cassey scowled.

"You said 'guys'. And I am a guy." Joe shrugged. A burst of laughter soon followed.

"Joe, either you are really the one who is stupid or you're just trying to impress Cassey here." Cass commented dryly. "Back on the subject, what do you _people_ think this means for us?" She glanced around, her expression serious. Beside her, Cassey frowned.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Cass shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Well... Used to be, being a Ranger was awesome, right?" She said. "You feel stronger. You feel that you can take on anything, even if there is a risk of dying. You feel invicible." Then her voice lowered. "But now, it's different. The chance of dying is high. The Kaijus are much stronger. The battles, unpredictable. We could die at any moment." She glanced at her sister at the last part.

Silenced engulfed the group. They understood what she meant. During the "Glory Days" of the First War, the Rangers really seemed invicible. They killed many Kaijus. Saved millions of lives and protected dozens of cities. In fact, during an interview 10 years ago, Raleigh Becket had proudly stated that he felt he could fight a hurricane whenever he is piloting a Jaeger along with his brother, and win.

But now, it's different. Oblivion Bay is a site to over 30 destroyed Jaegers. In Washington D.C., a monument was erected with the names of more than 60 Rangers, including Stacker Pentecost and Chuck Hansen. And with today's recent disaster, two more will be added to that list.

Being a Ranger is becoming even more dangerous. And now, with sixteen Kaijus on the loose, two of them proving to be deadlier than even Leatherback and Otachi combined, the chance of survival seems questionable. Cass was right.

They could die at any moment.

Surprisingly, it was Joe who broke the silence.

"You're right. _We_ could really die at any moment." He said as he stood up, staring at Cass directly in the eyes with a serious expression.

"But at least, we will _die_ fighting."

* * *

**How's that? :D**

**And about the fight scene, I hope you guys like the idea of the Twins doing hit-and-run tactics.. Yeah, it was kinda short. But that was just the beginning. I assure you all that the next one will be better. *grins evilly***

**Regarding their names, I have no idea yet what to call them. I'll try to come up with a name before next chapter. Suggestions are welcome though. :)**

**By the way, Gary, Joe and Jonathan are all my OCs. I will slowly be introducing characters, including your submitted ones, in later chapters.**

**Now, time to answer your reviews.**

_kseitshiro from south africa**: 1) Check my profile to see my age. XD 2) If you do not have an account here in FanFiction, then yes, you could post your OCs in the reviews. 3) Awesome Jaeger! Although your Plasmacaster seems a bit wrong. If it is an I-30, it should be more powerful than any previous modes. This goes for all weapons. And regarding the "Megapacks", are they interchangeable/detachable or already built-in? 4) Thank you for those encouraging words! And yes, I will admit it myself. Hospital food are delicious. :D As for your Kaiju... Is it alright if we reserve it until the sequel? BECAUSE IT IS TOO DAM* AWESOME! :D 5) No need. Your entries are good enough. :D**_

_RStyle**: Actually, a well placed IV line doesn't hurt much at all. Although I will agree on the annoying part. XD And yes, I will do an attack in Brazil. :)**_

_SigmaBlack**: 1) Thanks for the concern, man. I really appreciate it. :) I'm alright now. A week of taking an awfully bitter antibiotic does the trick. XD But as I've said, I've been on the "tubemachine" for 15 years now. Unfortunately, it will remain like that for an indefinite amount of time. Just think of it like Tony Stark having his Arc reactor. Except that mine is on the neck, and there's a risk of removing it. XD 2) Actually, I have some ideas going in my head right now about how to introduce your submitted characters. I won't spoil anything though. :p 3) My laptop is still broken. But yeah, I've been hearing a lot about Persona lately. I'll definitely try that game.**_

_Matrexmaster**: Thanks. And hope you are alright now too. :) Yes, I lived in the Philippines. Don't worry about the name. A lot of people are making the same mistake. XD**_

_grandprincessanastasiaromanov5**: Thanks! You got a pretty long FanFiction name, by the way. XD**_

_My Wunderwaffle iz missin**: I would really appreciate it if you could share them with me. Hope you find your waffle soon. XD**_

_Captiosus**: Ah, my apologies. Actually, I rarely write long AN at the start unless I have something story-related to say. Like now for example. I wrote a short one. As for the AN at the end, that's another story. For me, I want to answer all the reviews I will get. And its length depends on the question/review given. Again, this chapter is an example. I got 9 reviews, forcing me to lengthen my AN. Also, unlike other writers, I want to interact with my readers. I do not merely write stories. I "talk" with my followers. There's PM, yes. But AN is the best way to do it. :) I'll try your suggestion. :)**_

**And that's it! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Again, thank you all for your concerns about my health. You guys are one of the reasons I recovered easily. :D**

**Anyway, please Read &amp; Review!**

**Until next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

**Sorry for the delay, folks! I was kinda busy. XD**

**Anyway, this chapter is somewhat short since it is just a filler chapter for the next one, which is special. :D**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_February 12, 2029...  
Conference Room, Hong Kong Shatterdome, 11:37pm_

"**_Marshall, are you sure this is the only way?_**" A British man asked with skeptism, his voice crisp on the speaker.

"I'm afraid there's no other way." Herc shook his head. "The Kaijus we are facing now are far more deadlier and smarter than those we had encountered before. And we only fought two of them. If we are to keep our cities safe, we will need a Jaeger soon."

Herc was currently standing in front of a wall projecting a live view of the different representatives from the UN Council. To his left stood Tendo, looking serious. To Herc's right were Vanessa and Jason, now wearing casual clothes, with their faces masked in an unreadable expression.

"_**But a Jaeger costs as much as four Sentinels!**_" A Japanese representive protested. "_**And it takes at least 14 months to build one. The time and money would be better spent in building additional Sentinel units.**_"

"Quality over quantity, Mr. Kagura." Herc countered. "We saw how a 35-feet tall Kaiju made mincemeat of one. And I will not risk any more of my Rangers on fighting the Kaijus with a weapon that is unreliable."

"_**But Dr. Schoenfield had stated himself that the Sentinels are capable of**_-" Mr. Kagura tried to argue, but was cut short when Herc raised a hand to interrupt the representative.

"As far as I can remember," Herc said, "Dr. Schoenfield himself had stated that the Sentinel Program was only to act as a preemptive defense since they are not really supposed to replace the Jaegers as our primary weapon against the Kaijus. In fact, the production is only to last for a year before we switch back to funding another Jaeger Program. I should know, because I was there personally when he had proposed the idea." Then he added. "And I have just finished talking to him thirty minutes ago. He already said that the Jaegers have to be constructed as soon as we are able to."

Silence engulfed the room. Herc knew that the Council could no longer argue with what he just said. If they do not restart the Jaeger Program soon, they will lose more money if the Kaijus destroy another Sentinel.

"_**You do realize that we can no longer take back our current orders for more units?**_" A Canadian representative asked slowly. "_**We have already spent our funds to it. It would be a waste if we do not finish them.**_"

Herc nodded. "I understand. And I'm not saying we stop the production. I only request that we restart the Jaeger Program earlier than we had planned to."

With a sigh of defeat, the US representative finally spoke.

"_**Very well, then. You have our approval, Marshall. Expect additional budget for the Jaegers sometime next week.**_" With that, his screen goes off, the rest of the council following soon after.

"Bloody idiots." Herc muttered as he turned to face the others. "And I thought the bastards have already learned their lesson when that stupid wall was breached."

Jason snorted. "What else do you expect from politicians? They can't do anything right, at all. All they care about is money."

"And looking good in the eyes of the public." Tendo added.

"That too." Jason agreed.

"They won't be able to use those things against a giant monster." Herc growled, remembering how the council had cut the funds for the Jaeger Program five years ago, depriving the PPDC of more units.

"At least, they approved." Vanessa shrugged. "So, what's the plan now?" She asked.

Herc crossed his arms and paced slowly across the room. "Mako still has the designs and schematics for some Jaegers that were supposed to begin production after _Striker Eureka_ was completed, but was never started due to the budget cut. I'll tell her tomorrow to submit them as soon as possible to the Engineering Department."

Jason nodded. "How many are they?"

"12." Herc answered. "State of the art weapons and systems. Equipped with prototype tech. Eight countries have already staked their claim on them. Russia, Japan, Taiwan, USA, Canada, Chile, New Zealand and Australia."

"Australia again?" Jason asked in disbelief. "Jesus, and you said the Jaegers were to be constructed after _Striker_?"

"That's right." Herc replied.

"How the hell can you Aussies manage to fund two units in two year?" The Ranger shook his head in wonder.

"Never underestimate us Aussies." Herc said with a serious tone. "Anyway, I think I'll go to sleep now." He said as he started to walk towards the door. Just as his hand touches the knob, Vanessa spoke.

"Wait! Herc, can we make a request?"

The veteran Ranger turned around. "Of course. What is it?" He asked.

Vanessa glanced at Jason, who nodded encouragingly. With a smirk on her face, Vanessa answered.

"Reserve the first Mark-6 for me and Jason."

...

_February 13, 2029...  
Common Room, East Wing Dormitory, Los Angeles Ranger Academy, 1:56pm_

Cassey groaned at the stack of assignments sitting at the table. She and her sister have just finished their class and was given another assignment about Kaiju behaviour. Aside from that, they still have essasys regarding Jaeger technologies and weapons as well as different combat styles used by the Rangers.

In other words, their hands were full. Not to mention, they have two more classes this afternoon. And they were very certain they'll be given another load of assignments.

"This is crazy." The blonde groaned again. "And we thought college was bad." She turned her head in Cass' direction.

Her sister shrugged as she typed on a laptop. Fortunately, each cadet were given an Academy-issued laptop to help them in their studies.

"At least, we only need to do this for two months." Cass said. "After that-"

"-Pons Training-" Cassey continued.

"-Drift Sync Testing-" Her sister spoke again.

"-Drivesuit Testing-"

"-Jaeger Training-"

"-and finally-"

"Ranger Ready." They chorused with a sigh. That's one trait they both have as twin sisters. They can finish each other's sentences without having to know what the other one will going to say. Of course, this was quite normal for twins like them. But the way they do it, as if they can hear each other's thoughts without actually hearing it, was quite uncommon. This makes them possible to achieve a high Drift score, which in turn, can make them pass the training easily and become full-fledge Rangers.

That is, if their brains do not explode at all the assignments they still have to finish.

"We could ask Gary and Joe to help us." Cass suggested, though based on her expression, she was very doubtful about it.

"Hell no!" Cassey scowled. "I'd rather have a Kaiju skin mite to help me." She crossed her arms in annoyance.

Cass sighed. "A skin mite can't talk, sis. Besides, Gary seems nice enough."

"Gary, yes." Cassey snorted. "As for his obnoxious older brother? No way!" She scoffed. As if on cue, a voice suddenly spoke.

"Did I just heard my name being called?" It said in a cocky tone.

Cassey rolled her eyes. "Speak of the devil." She muttered. Then in a louder voice, she answered. "No. Do you heard me saying your name?"

Joe Mason came up beside the sofa Cassey and Cass were both sitting on, grinning like an idiot. "No. But your sister did." He pointed a finger in Cass' direction.

Cassey huffed at his response, but said nothing. She was silently fuming, evident by the glare she was giving the stack of assignments. But she couldn't show it. No doubt, Joe would just give it another meaning.

"What do you want?" Cassey snapped instead.

"Ah, don't be like that, baby!" Joe said as he sat down beside her. The nerve of him, she thought. They were not even close. And definitely not even friends.

"Look, I just want to help you and your sister." He said genuinely. "I mean, these assignments you got seems too much for the two of you." He indicated the stack of books at the table.

"We don't your help." Cassey huffed. To her left, Cass raised both of her eyebrows.

"Are you sure?" Joe asked. "If that's the case, then when is your deadline?"

Cassey didn't answer him for a minute. She glanced at Cass for help, but her sister simply shrugged and continued to type on the keyboard.

"Next Monday." Cassey finally answered with a hint of hesitancy in her voice. She knew it herself that they won't be able to meet the deadline with just her and Cass. Their assignments all require long essays. And based on past experiences, it won't be easy.

In other words, they do need help.

"That's only three days from now." Joe said. "You won't make it."

"We could simply ask the others to help us." Cassey scoffed. It was true. All over the room, several groups of cadets were clumped together on a spot. No doubt, they too were having a hard time with the assignments and had decided that working together was a great idea.

"But can you?" Joe questioned. "Look around, Cassey. The others are also busy with their own assignments. It's highly unlikely they can help." He shook his head. "No, sweetie. Your best bet would be me and my brother." He leaned back at the sofa with a smug expression.

Cassey's scowl deepened. She hated being thrust in a situation like this one, where she has no options to choose from. It was frustrating. Even more so if she knows there's no other way.

Or at least, none that she could see.

"What's the catch?" She asked warily. She's not stupid. She knows there is one. There always is.

"Well..." Joe shifted in his seat. "It's February 14 tomorrow, so..." He wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

"You want us to date you?" Cassey gave him an are-you-serious expression.

"Well, not both of you." Joe chuckled. "What I mean is, you will date me tomorrow after I help you and your sister out." He grinned cockily.

Cassey glared at him. She knew it. Of course, how could she have forgotten about Valentine's Day? She should have seen this coming already.

"And how can we be sure that you can help us?" She demanded. "Have you finish your assignments already?" She asked with a challenging smirk.

"Of course!" He replied instantly. "We are not stupid, you know."

Cassey raised an eyebrow at this. Meanwhile, her sister muttered something under her breath.

"It clearly doesn't show." She said without taking her eyes off the screen.

"Anyway," Joe cleared his throat, "what do you say?"

Cassey pondered over his offer. She and Cass definitely needs help. But they definitely do not need a date. Heck, this was the reason they ditched school and enlisted in the Academy. Because most boys only saw them as eye candies. Girls they thought they could woo, and leave in the end when they get tired of.

Her eyes flicked over to her sister's and for a moment, they locked gaze. Suddenly, she had an idea. And she couldn't help but smirk inwardly to herself.

"Fine." Cassey sighed. "But on one condition." She stared at Joe with a devious look.

Whether Joe noticed it or not, he nodded nonetheless. "Yes. Anything you wish!" He bobbed his head up and down.

Stupid, she thought. Then she smiled very sweetly. "I get to choose where we'll go."

"No problem!" Joe grinned. "So, it's settled then? You'll go on a date with me?" He asked, excitement evident in his voice.

"Well, if you'll be kind as to really help us..." Cassey said. Immediately, Joe grabbed the stack of books and stood up hastily with a huge smile on his face.

"You can count on us!" He said. "See you tomorrow, Cassey!" With that, he walked away.

"I have a feeling you will give him a hard time." Cass sighed as she closed her laptop.

"Of course not." Cassey looked at her innocently. Then she grinned.

"Anyway, do you want some ice cream?"

* * *

**That's right! I will be doing a special Valentine's Day chapter that will be posted on the same date! And I have a feeling you guys will love it. *grins evilly"**

**Just some bits of announcement. I'll be taking down the Kaiju and Pilot sections of my "**Man, Machines and Monsters**". One of the reasons is because I think I already spoiled some epic Kaijus by revealing them too early when they still haven't appeared yet on the story. Plus, my biggest mistake was I created a bio for my main OCs when I should haven't since it hinders me from developing them properly. Don't worry though, because I'll repost them once the story is finish. :)**

**And I'll keep the Jaeger section. Just saying.**

**By the way, I'll soon add a Sentinel section. I just don't know when. XD**

**Now, time to answer your reviews.**

_kseitshiro from SA**: 1) You obviously didn't checked my profile if you are surprised about my age. XD Expect your OCs to appear in later chapters. :) 2) Too much OC is not a bad thing since I am planning on doing two more sequels. However, don't expect them to appear all in one story. XD And yes, I can see that your Jaeger i indeed powerful. 3) Sure. A Kaiju attack in SA will definitely happen. 4) Another super Kaiju. XD Don't worry, I think I have an idea how to introduce Apocalypto. :) 5) No problem about the mix-up. And about MMA, read my author's notes above. XD**_

_SigmaBlack**: 1) My laptop is still broken. T_T 2) Supposedly, the first pair was to be mentioned in this one. XD But I thought the scene wouldn't fit, so I decided against it. Sorry! 3) That's the only thing I don't like about FF. You can't put other symbols. 4) Don't worry. I can guarantee that this one will be even better than the first. Although that's why I didn't removed it from my story list. Because it holds some sort of sentimental value to me. I mean, it's my first PR story, after all. XD**_

_Matrexmaster**: I'll be waiting for that story of yours. :)**_

_My Wunderwaffle iz missin**: I am feeling better now, thanks. And, um, why not try pancakes for a change? XD**_

**On a completely unrelated topic. Who watched "**The Walking Dead**" mid-season episde yesterday/today? I swear they are taking advice from George R.R. Martin! XD**

**Anyway, that's it! Please Read &amp; Review!**

**Until next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

**Yeah, I'm 8 days late. XD**

**Sorry for that, guys. But the scope of this chapter was so big that I couldn't post this at the date I had promised.**

**Still, this is set on Valentine's Day. So I hope you will enjoy this.**

**Oh yes. You definitely will. *cackles madly***

* * *

_February 14, 2029..._

Valentine's Day.

A day where millions of couples, married or otherwise, celebrate love. Where they show their devotions to their other half by taking them on romantic dinner dates, buying gifts for them, or in most cases, by simply taking a stroll together on a park or watching the sunset on a beach.

In other cases, it is also the day where people find someone to love for the first time. Either by chance or by confessing to a long time crush.

Of course, Cassey Anderson was not having any of that. What she has in mind for her "date" with Joe was unique and different. And she was very certain that they will both love it.

"So, like, I hope you picked a nice place for us." Joe grinned as he walked alongside her. They were currently exiting a corridor from the third floor of the Academy, heading towards an elevator that will take them to the ground floor. Even though the cadets were all given free time to celebrate Valentine's Day, many had still stayed behind on the Academy. No doubt, they were the ones who still have assignments that needs to be finish. Fortunately for Cassey, someone else had already did that for her. And that someone was currently grinning like an idiot beside her.

"Don't worry," She smiled at Joe oh so sweetly, "I'm pretty sure you will enjoy it." She winked at him for good measure before quickening her pace and walking ahead of him. As she does so, her smile transformed into a wide grin.

The poor guy has no clue what she has in store for him. She made sure that the place where they were heading, Joe would fall head over heels for her. Literally.

Oh yes. She will definitely enjoy this day.

Soon, they reached the main floor. As they exited the elevator, Cassey led him through another long corridor. To their right, glass windows granted a full view of the courtyard, with hundreds of students milling about. Trees dotted the open field. Flowers grew on several areas. In the center was a fountain, with a large statue of Romeo Blue spewing water from its front fin while benches surrounded it.

"Uh, Cassey?" Joe frowned as they rounded a corner. "I don't think this leads to the entrance."

Cassey didn't answer him. Instead, she continued to lead him through several corridors. At last, after taking one last left turn, they came upon a large glass door. Inside, she could see various workout equipments arrayed on the walls and around the room, with most of them being occupied. On one corner were a row of benches and a large TV screen while in the center of the room, several matresses were laid out on the floor. Most of these were being used by several pairs of cadets, bo staves in hand as they duel each other.

Cassey entered the room, glancing around before looking back at Joe with a smile.

"Ready for our date?" She smirked.

"Uh, yeah, but..." Joe scratched his head in confusion. "Why are we here on the Training Area?"

...

_Marshall's Office, Hong Kong Shatterdome, 11:39am_

Even though he was all alone in his office, Herc could still feel the tension and pressure inside the Shatterdome. Why wouldn't they be? It's Valentine's Day. Millions of people were outside their homes. Most of them going to the beaches. Any moment today, the Kaijus could attack and endanger so many lives.

They weren't fearing for those in Europe though. They were too far away for the creatures to attack. No. What they were concerned about were the nations around the Pacific Ocean. Especially those in Asia. Philippines specifically.

Ever since the twin Kaijus attacked, they have never been able to locate them anymore. It seems as if they have vanished without a trace, and it worries them greatly. For all they know, the two could already be hiding somewhere in the mainland.

Herc sighed. With the help of Dr. Gotlieb and Dr. Geiszler, they have narrowed down the places where the Twins could be hiding in. Australia was immediately removed from that list. His home country was still protect by The Wall. The Twins would have to bypass that and swim around to get to the other side, given that they were still small to even breach it. New Zealand was unlikely. The country was too far south. The monsters would already be detected before they could even reach that. Japan and Korea were highly improbable either. The Shatterdome located in Tokyo would have prevented them from reaching mainland.

That only left them with two possibilities. The Kaijus turned around to head in the opposite direction to attack the entire west coasts of America or they attack Philippines. Again.

Both Dr. Gotlieb and Dr. Geiszler had placed their bets on the latter one.

Hence, the reason for the tensed atmosphere inside the Shatterdome. In fact, Herc was very certain that those in Tokyo could feel the same. Just this morning, he had advised all personnel to be on high alert status. The Sentinels were all prepared and readied for battle, the Rangers being issued a memo to be on standby for any possible deployments. Meanwhile, the respective armed forces and coast guards of each Pan Pacific nations were also told to remain vigilant and report any signs of the Kaijus. However, Herc has one big problem.

Hong Kong Shatterdome was short on two Sentinel units.

The former Jaeger pilot leaned back in his seat and racked his brain for any solution to this dillemma. With 02 partially destroyed and 03 undergoing repairs, which would take another week to finish, only Jason and Vanessa's unit is available. If the Kaijus makes an attack, the two will be outnumbered. Of course, Tokyo is there to help them. But their Strike Group will still take at least four hours to mobilize and arrive. A lot of damages and lives would have already been inflicted and lost by then. But he can't send out 01 alone. The Smiths were two of the best Rangers the PPDC have right now. Losing them would be a serious blow to their capabilities and most of all, morale. Herc couldn't let that happen.

And so, he fervently hopes that the Kaijus won't attack today. But of course, he knew his hopes were in vain when he received a call from Tendo.

"Marshall? We got a problem."

* * *

"Cassey? Cassey! I think this is all a mistake!" Joe whimpered as his brother Gary pushed him in the middle of a mattress on the floor. In front of him, holding a wooden bo staff, Cassey grinned.

"I did told you that I get to pick where we will 'date', right?" She smirked. She was just wearing a simple sleeveless tank top and tight gym pants, her usual attire whenever she was training. Her hair was also tied in a pony tail, preventing it from distracting her during her practice.

Or from kicking Joe's sorry ass.

Right now, the poor guy was slightly trembling as his brother handed him another bo staff just like the one she was holding to her side.

"Good luck." Cassey heard Gary say, the younger Mason giving his older brother an expression fit for a funeral wake, before patting Joe sympathetically on the shoulder and making his way towards Cass, who was sitting at a bench on the wall trying her best not to laugh while holding a camcorder at the same time.

"Don't leave me here." Joe squeaked. Then he glanced at Cassey. "Sweetie, wh-what's this?" He held up the wooden weapon. "Why are we having a duel?" He asked nervously.

Cassey grinned again. "We are on a date, remember?" She replied. "Besides, since you are my first, I want this day to be... _memorable_." She finished her sentence with another smirk.

By now, Joe was starting to sweat. He looked at his brother desperately for help, but to no avail. Gary was already busy chatting with Cass. Meanwhile, some of the cadets around them stopped their own training to watch the unfolding scene.

"Look, I, uh, can we just do something else?" He tried to plead.

"And why would that be?" Cassey raised an eyebrow. "Scared of a girl kicking your ass?" She teased. A lot of snickers was immediately heard among the crowd.

"Of course not!" Joe's face suddenly became as red as Crimson Typhoon's armor. "It's just that..." His voiced trailed off, his expression hesitant.

"What?" Cassey cocked an eyebrow. She could see that Joe was having an internal debate with himself, and briefly, she wondered if she have gotten a bit too far with her torture. However, she soon dismissed the thought when she saw Joe's expression slowly morphing into a grin.

"Alright, how about this?" His usual cocky attitude returning. "First to land ten strikes. If I win, I get to kiss you. In the lips." A loud chorus of whoops and whistles came from the others.

Instead of being offended by his challenge, however, Cassey merely smiled.

"Deal." She agreed without hesitation. "But if I win, you will do all of mine and Cass' assignments. For a month." She added with a triumphant smirk. Cassey wasn't new to these kind of situations. All the boys she had encountered during her high school days together with her sister had use the same method. Challenge them into doing something relatively hard with the boys always asking for a date or even a kiss, while they always ask for them to do something extremely hard and embarassing at the same time.

So far, she and Cass had won all of these challenges. And she was determined to win this one with Joe as well.

As soon as she shad agreed, Cassey saw a great deal of panic and fear in his eyes. And even hesitation. No doubt, the poor idiot was simply bluffing to escape whatever she's planning to do with him. Unfortunately, Cassey was already experienced in this. She knew when a bluff is serious or not.

"F-Fine." Joe tried to regain his previous cockiness, but the slight quiver of his lips was a dead giveaway of just how nervous he was. He then bowed slightly to Cassey, with her doing the same, before the two entered a fighting stance.

Cassey smiled dangerously. Oh yes. She will definitely enjoy her first "date".

...

_LOCCENT Mission Control, Hong Kong Shatterdome, 12:10pm_

"What's their location?" Herc demanded as he strode inside LOCCENT and immediately headed straight towards a holographic map of the entire Pacific Ocean.

"Tablas Strait, Philippines." Tendo replied. At this, Herc nearly choked.

"In the middle of the country?" He asked in disbelief. How the bloody hell did they got there without anybody noticing?

"Afraid so, sir." Tendo answered with a serious expression. "They are fast heading north. 150 miles per hour."

Too fast, Herc thought. The two will definitely reach mainland before they could even mobilize the Sentinels. They have to do something now.

"Alert the Philippine government." He ordered. "Tell them to delay the Twins until we arrive and to evacuate the civilians situated near the coasts. Send word to Commander Takara too. Tell him we need his entire Strike Group for this. We-"

"Sir!" A personnel suddenly interrupted. "K-Watch has just sent us the complete information for the Kaijus!" Immediately, he pressed a keyboard key and the information was shown on the large main screen.

_..._

_Names: Geras(red) and Frekas(yellow)_

_Weight: approx. 2,350-2,470 tons_

_Height: approx. 55 feet(shoulder to foot)_

_Length: approx. 73 feet(snout to tail)_

_Toxicity: Low_

_Category: I_

_Additional Info: Both Kaijus seems to display good coordination, tactics and unusual intelligence. Will attack the same target together. Extreme caution is highly advised. Do not engage on terrain with lots of cover._

_..._

Herc reads the report grimly. "Have the Kaijus resurfaced yet?"

"No, sir." Tendo shook his head. "They are still submerged."

"Track forecast?" He asked. Tendo immediately punched a series of commands in his keyboard. On the holographic display, two sets of red lines appeared.

"Based on predictions sent by K-Watch, the two may skip Marinduque island and head straight for Batangas." The man said.

"Just like Hundun." Herc muttered, remembering the second Kaiju that attacked humanity which resulted to the deaths of thousands of civilians as well as the contamination of an entire city.

"Send the information to the Smiths." He said at last. "Tell them to suit up. We are deploying Unit 01."

* * *

_Training Area, Los Angeles Ranger Academy, 12:35pm_

"6-1." Cassey stood over Joe's knocked down form, the end of her staff just a few inches away from his neck. All around them, the cadets were either cheering at another one of her takedowns or groaning at how badly Joe was getting his ass kicked by a girl.

"Giving up now?" Cassey smirked as she gloated. Honestly, she was not feeling sorry for him. He deserves it anyway. Besides, this should teach him not to mess with her. Ever again. Unless he wants another kiss.

With the matress.

"No." Joe groaned as he started to get up.

Cassey was about to attack him during this moment. Call it highly unorthodox, but she doesn't care. The Kaijus wouldn't care too, after all. However, she was pretty much shocked when Joe suddenly twisted around and swept his legs over hers, making her fall on the matress with a shriek.

"6-2!" Joe crowed as he swiftly stood up, his previous cockiness returning once again. Then he suddenly whistled. "Nice ass." He grinned. At this, a lot of whoops soon followed.

Cassey immediately sat up, her face red in both fury and embarassment. When she fell on the floor, the sudden movement caused her to lift her legs involuntarily, giving Joe a nice look at her behind.

She growled as she slowly got up, sending him a glare strong enough to make even Slattern run.

"Look," Joe began, unperturbed by her heated expression. "I-OH SHIT!"

Cassey suddenly charged even as he was speaking, preventing Joe from properly defending himself. In just three blows, Cassey has the end of her staff resting a few inches away from his neck. Again.

"7-2." She stated simply.

Beads of sweat rolled down Joe's forehead. He glanced back and forth between her and the staff, and Cassey knew he was formulating a plan to escape this. But she was not every bit worried. Only 3 more hits, and victory will be hers.

Joe suddenly swung his staff in front of him and tried to knock away hers. Fortunately, she was already expecting this. Gripping her weapon tightly so as not to lose it, she used the force of the blow as momentum and spun around, crouching down unexpectedly midway through, before sweeping it under Joe's legs.

The resulting thud was satisfying enough to make her grin.

"8-2." Cassey said with a smile before immediately taking several steps away from him. She has already learned her lesson. She won't make the same mistake again.

Groaning aloud in pain, Joe got up and took another fighting stance.

"You know," He panted, "I think we should stop. I, er, was just joking about that challenge." He chuckled nervously.

"Really?" Cassey raised an eyebrow and gave him a smile. "Well, I'm not joking when I said that you will do our assignments if you lose." She smirked before charging once again. However, before she could even reach him, someone barged inside the room with a shout.

"THERE IS A KAIJU ATTACK IN THE PHILIPPINES!" The cadet, a man in his early 30s, said with a terrified expression. Immediately, everyone dropped whatever they were doing and head straight for the large TV screen in one corner. As someone turned it on, they saw a live footage from a news helicopter showing a huge expanse of water. To the left was a coastline with a long highway filled with hundreds of vehicles hugging its edges. As the camera zoomed in, they saw thousands of people running away from the ocean in utter fear even as a loud warning siren blared throughout the city. Suddenly, they heard a news reporter speaking.

"_As you can see, the civilians are stampeding away from the water as fast as they could to escape the impending danger!_" The view swiftly panned to the right where it zoomed on a spot near the horizon. Two sets of sharp spikes a hundred feet apart from each other protrude from the ocean, spraying water on either sides and rapidly approaching at a fast speed.

Suddenly, a muffled roar of engines was heard. The camera quickly switched its view to the skies, where a dozen FA-50s were making their way towards the monsters.

"_We can see once again that a squadron of jet fighters from the Philippine Air Force are doing another attack against the beasts. Just an hour ago, three Navy ships have already sunk as they tried to-OH MY GOD!_" The reporter suddenly screamed. Just as the squadron flew low to engage the Kaijus, two long whip-like tails shot out from the water and with a casual swipe, destroyed the entire group in less than three seconds.

Several cries of shock and horror came from the cadets. It happened so fast. Too fast. As Cassey glanced around grimly, she could see that many of those in their group have paled at the sight of how easily the Kaijus had destroyed twelve aircrafts. Meanwhile, on the TV, the reporter took several tries before she could speak again.

"_W-We just saw h-h-how a squadron of FA-50s was o-o-obliterated by the Kaijus in a m-m-matter of seconds._" She said in a terrified voice. "_As you c-c-can see, the m-m-monsters are now approaching m-m-m-mainland without anything to s-s-s-stop them as the Sentinels are still on the way._"

Even as she said it, they all saw the Kaijus nearing. The view panned to the right, showing the civilians running as far inland as possible. No doubt, they were all going to hide on a nearby Anti-Kaiju Underground Bunker.

Suddenly, they heard two sets of muffled roars.

"_OH MY GOD!_" The report screamed again. As the camera returned its focus back on the monsters, they saw that the two were no longer in the ocean. Instead, the Twins were now rampaging across the highway, throwing cars like they were merely made of cardboard boxes and destroying all buildings within their reach.

"_Oh my god! Th-The Kaijus! T-T-They just jumped out of the water! A-A-At a distance of two hundred feet!_" She stuttered. "_And... And... And th-they are n-n-now rampaging across the c-c-city and... and... there-OH GOD! Is that a boy?!_" She shrieked in fear and pointed at a spot near a fast food restaurant. The camera zoomed in, confirming what the reporter had just said.

A boy no older than thirteen was frantically running away in terror. Of course, the Kaijus immediately noticed this and started to chase after him. As he was about to cross the road, he suddenly tripped on something and fell on the ground, his mouth open in a soundless scream.

Cassey knew that she was not the only one who felt a chill crawl down her spine.

They all watched in a mixture of horror, dread and morbid fascination as one of the Kaijus towered above the unfortunate boy and blocked their view of him. For several seconds, it stayed there while its twin followed behind. They all held their breaths, praying that some sort of miracle will happen. A Sentinel being dropped in time. Another squadron of fighter jets arriving. A battalion of tanks unleashing a barrage of armor-piercing shells.

Anything. Anything at all.

Suddenly, there was a quick movement. They all saw the Kaiju darted its head forward. This only happened in less than five seconds, before the monster proceed to resume its rampage, its twin following not too far.

The scream of the reporter confirmed their worst fear.

"_OH MY GOD! IT ATE HIM! IT ATE HIM! GOD HELP US! IT ATE HIM!_" She screamed over and over.

Several thuds followed after that, mostly from girls and women among their group. Meanwhile, at least half of the opposite gender fled towards the bathroom or in some cases, outright vomitted on the floor. Joe and his brother included.

As for Cassey and the rest, they were so rooted on the spot they could be mistaken for statues.

By now, the reporter on the TV was reduced to a blabbering mess. Her words were no longer comprehensible, and she was starting to sob even as she spoke. Even the camera itself was shaking. No doubt, the guy holding it was trembling.

On the ground, the Twins continued their path of destruction across the city. By now, more than a quarter of a mile lay in ruins. Buildings and infrastructures were toppled. Large piles of debris and crumpled vehicles were scattered all over the roads. Fires were burning out of control and spreading throughout the city. In the distance, a large crowd of people was still running away even as the Kaijus neared them.

But it was futile. Cassey and the rest knows this. The Twins, now focusing their attention on the hapless humans, started to give chase. They split in two directions, flanking the fleeing group and running parallel to them.

To Cassey, it looked very much like two wolves hunting a large flock of defenseless sheep.

One of the Twins suddenly leaped and closed the gap between it and the civilians, landing near the center and crushing at least a hundred under its foot. It lashed out with its long tail and threw a hundred more high in the air, with the rest scattering in the opposite direction in fright, only to be met by the other Twin.

The group cowered against them. They were trapped now. They have nowhere else to go beside the waiting jaws of two very hungry Kaijus. They were all going to die.

The reporter was now sobbing loudly on the background.

Even though the view was several thousand feet high in the air, they could clearly see the eyes of the Kaijus. It was filled with hunger. Unsatiable primal hunger. And the humans was the focus of that hunger.

The Kaijus stalked them slowly, sensing their fear and inability to escape. Their eyes scanned them greedily and ravenously, just like how wolves looked at their prey once they were within reach. They were like a feast to them. Ready to be devoured and eaten. And nothing can stop them.

Except for two large houses flying in the air and smashing at their heads.

* * *

_Batangas City, Philippines, 1:30pm_

Sentinel 01 stood near a fallen building, staring in defiance at the twin Kaijus, Geras and Frekas. Its bright blue armor was sleek and light, yet only covering the vital parts of its frame like the torso, shoulders, forearms and lower legs. Two fins grafted into the armor extended from its back, with a pair of thrusters located underneath. Another set of thrusters were located at the back near the hips, while both legs have two smaller ones on each sides of a foot. Under each forearm was a sharp curved blade, gleaming bright in the sun. Meanwhile, the visor of its Conn-Pod glowed bright red.

Vanessa and Jason Smith stared ahead with a grim expression. The Kaijus seemed to have grown bigger and taller since their last encounter with them. The spikes on their backs were now long and pointed, the claws on their limbs sharp and curved. Their tails were as long as their torso now, swishing back and forth in agitation. They have somewhat became leaner too, though their jaws were as strong as ever. Long teeth filled their maws, and the veins running all over their body have become much brighter than before. Only the look of their eyes had remained unchanged.

It was still filled with hate... and cunning.

"_**Unit 01, this is Marshall Herc Hansen.**_" A voice crackled on the communicators. "_**Remember; do not let yourselves get too close to the Kaijus until reinforcements arrive. Maintain a safe distance while distracting them away from the population. We still have an hour before Strike Group Japan arrives. Hold on until then.**_" With that, the radio link fell silent.

Vanessa and Jason didn't bother to answer that. They were too busy watching the Twins carefully. The civilians were still huddled in a tight group right in the middle. They were too afraid to move out of the way, given that they were caught between two Kaijus. One wrong move from the couple and 1,000 lives would be lost in a matter of seconds.

They took a single step forward, testing if the monsters will react. The Kaijus were now giving them baleful expression, raising their tails threateningly over the humans.

Vanessa and Jason tensed, glancing at each other with a worried expression. They knew they couldn't risk another step. The message was clear enough for them to understood.

_Move, and they will die._

"Cunning bastards." Jason growled. Even though they were connected via Drift, Vanessa knew that her husband was so frustrated by their current situation that he can't help but say his thoughts out loud. The people were at the mercy of the Kaijus, and they were powerless to save them. The Twins knows this. In fact, it seems as if they were just toying with them. Taunting them. Daring them to do something which they will regret in the end.

Cunning bastards indeed.

_Any ideas?_ Vanessa felt her husband asked in the Driftspace.

She shook her head, unable to come up with one. Any actions they take will just endanger the people. And she is sure as hell they can't let that happen. Otherwise, the purpose of being a Ranger is pretty much useless.

She racked her brain for anything they could do. They can't attack, that much was certain. Besides, the Striker Armor they were equipped with was designed for maneuverability and evasion. For fast melee attacks and quick dodging. They do not possess any sort of range weapons at all. They need something that they can use as projectiles. Something like those two broken houses they had thrown just a few moments ago...

"You're kidding, right?" Jason raised an eyebrow in her direction, immediately catching up to what she was thinking.

"No choice." Vanessa muttered. "We need to divert them away from the civilians." She said even as she searched for a sizable chunk of debris that they could use.

She soon settled on a nearby one roughly 30 feet away. It was not much, really. Barely large enough to be carried on both hands. But that should be enough. Now, if she could just find another one, they could distract both Kaijus in one throw and-

A flood of emotions inside the Drift nearly overwhelmed her. Fear, panic, rage, and then, despair and fury. It was coming from her husband, and she didn't have to look ahead in order to know why.

While they were preoccupied with how they should distract the Kaijus, the twins used this as an opportunity to attack. Only, they were not the target.

But the humans.

With triumphant snarls, Geras and Frekas simultaneously whipped their tails at the civilians and went on a killing spree. Several hundreds were thrown high in the air, screaming in shock and terror, before falling on the ground and immediately dying upon impact. Meanwhile, those who survived started to run, only to be swept and flattened by the tails. Those who didn't ran but was fortunate to have remained alive were soon cut down by the Kaiju's claws.

In just under a minute, the ground was painted red.

With howls of fury, Vanessa and Jason charged. Rear thrusters at their back firing at full power, they barreled straight for the Kaijus. Only one thing was on their minds at the moment. And that was to kill these two bastards currently sprinting in their direction. Rage powered their every movement. Their every action. Their sole goal of destroying these monsters that took more than a thousand lives in just two hours.

They were just within a hundred feet away from Geras when the Kaiju leaped. Having already anticipated this, they changed the direction 01's back thrusters were firing at and pointed it downwards, enabling them to leap as well and intercept the creature. As they got closer to each other in mid-air, 01 immediately extended its arms and grabbed the beast at the neck before coming back down and slamming the monster at the ground.

The monster roared in pain. The force of the impact was so strong it shattered some of its back spikes as well as creating a crater on the cement, preventing it from moving freely. Its neck still on 01's hold, it tried to use its tail to dislodge itself from the Sentinel's tightening grip. However, the mech simply released its neck, grabbed the tail with both hands, and as Frekas leaped too to aid its twin, pulled and swung the Kaiju at the front and smacked its brother out of the way before smashing Geras again back on the ground.

The monster howled in pain even as its twin shrieked and sailed in the air for several seconds until it crashed on a building several hundreds yards to the left.

Dazed, Frekas slowly got up, wobbling a bit. It shook its head several times, trying to regain its focus. But before it could attack again, its brother suddenly slammed into it, thrown by 01 from afar.

Vanessa and Jason growled as one, murder intent in their eyes. On the radio, Marshall Hansen was already yelling for them to stand down and retreat. After all, they were outnumbered. They may be winning now, or at least, that's what they were hoping. But eventually, their luck will run out.

Which means, they need to finish this soon.

Firing their rear thrusters once more, Vanessa and Jason charged forward. Noticing this, the Twins snarled and began to head straight for them, running at a surprising speed. 500 meters. 300 meters. 200 meters. As they neared, the Kaijus suddenly slid to a stop. With a fierce roar, both monsters swung their tails in the direction of 01 and slammed it in the torso.

"SHIT!" Both Rangers said. The force of the blow knocked the Sentinel dozens of meters away and several feet high in the air before landing on its back, crushing several small buildings in the process. With a groan of metal, the mech slowly got up in a half-kneel position, supporting itself with one hand. The Conn-Pod swiveled to each sides, watching the Kaijus closely. They were now circling around, growling dangerously. Their eyes were glowing with hatred. With fury. And their claws clicked on the ground as they move.

Vanessa and Jason thought as fast as they could. Sparks were already emitting inside the cockpit. Red warning lights were starting to flash. Some of their systems were damaged, including three of the rear thrusters. This greatly reduces their movement speed, but thankfully, not their reaction time. Still, with the Kaijus at just 500 feet away, they only have a small chance of winning against them. Especially at their current condition. If they charge at the same time, and they definitely will, it would prove disastrous for them.

An idea popped into their head. A plan began to form, and they smirked at each other. It was simple, really. But it requires perfect timing. Fortunately, years of being a Ranger has tempered their skills. They were confident enough that they could pull it off. Plus, their burning desire to destroy the monsters surely helps.

The Kaijus suddenly charged.

Closing their eyes in concentration, they waited. The rapid beating of their hearts. Their ragged breathing inside their helmets. The snarls of the approaching monsters. They both heard this. They were both aware of these. However, their sole focus was on the voice of the A.I. announcing the distance of their targets.

"_300 feet... 250 feet... 200 feet... 100 feet..._"

"NOW!" Vanessa shouted together. With the hum of hydraulics and the whirr of engines, Unit 01 quickly rolled out of the way. Several seconds later, they heard the satisfying sound of two monsters slamming to each other at the spot they had just occupied.

Wasting no more time, they spun around as they stood up and saw the Twins lying on the ground, apparently dazed. They walked closer, standing above them. They were about to picked them up by their necks, when the two suddenly whipped around and clamped their jaws shut on the Sentinel's hands.

Vanessa and Jason screamed, electricity travelling along their arms. On the display, the armor integrity by the servos were starting to flash red. The pressure made the metal cracked, increasing the feedback the Rangers were receiving.

Groaning in pain, the couple didn't gave in even as the Twins tried to tug and pull similar to what they did with 02. Instead, Vanessa and Jason poured all the strength and rage they could manage and use it to lift both Kaijus in the air. Roaring in sheer fury, the duo slammed both flailing monsters to each other at full force.

Once. Twice. Thrice.

By the time they were going for the fourth time, the Twins were already whimpering in pain. However, the fact that they still have their jaws on the mech's hands confirms that they still have some strength left. Their tails were still flailing too, and their claws were scratching the armor.

"Time to finish this." Vanessa said to her husband.

With the Kaijus still in the air, 01's arm blades slid out and pierced each monster's throats. The Twins immediately spasmed and flailed, spilling azure blood on the ground below. Their jaws started to loosen its hold, and their claws raked weakly across the armor for several seconds before falling limply on their side.

For good measure, Vanessa and Jason slammed them back to the ground and twisted their blades, spilling more Kaiju Blue.

...

They stayed there for a couple of minutes, unmoving. In the distance, several dozens of helicopters were fast approaching, carrying three Sentinels between them. It was Strike Group Japan, having just arrived.

"_**Hmph. Looks like we're late.**_" A gruff voice spoke through the radio.

Vanessa shook her head, not bothering to answer that. Right now, a dozen emotions were clouding her mind and that of her husband. Usually, they feel proud and victorious once they have killed a Kaiju. They feel giddy. Fulfilled.

But now... it's different. They were not feeling any of that as they stood up to survey the battlefield. There was destruction everywhere. Fires billowed from different parts of the city. Damaged buildings and debris lay in piles all over the place. Crumpled vehichles were scattered. A thousand corpses littered the ground.

It shouldn't be like this. It's Valentine's Day. The city should be full of love. It should be filled with people spreading love. But instead, they got... this.

A city filled with death.

* * *

**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Ever heard of the Bloody Valentine's War from the anime **_Gundam SEED_**? :D**

**Well, this chapter was inspired by that. In fact, the Sentinel Armors, especially the Striker, are loosely based on those Striker Packs used by Strike Gundam itself. Didn't see that one coming, did ya? XD**

**And yes, the story had just became dark. Actually, that was the plan all along. Hahahaha!**

**But don't worry, I'm not going to make them too dark. I'm a fan of both DC and Marvel, you know. :p**

**I just hope I didn't made all of you freaked out by those, er, gory scenes. XD**

**The names of the Twins were taken from the mythical Norse wolves, **Geri** and **Freki**. They are said to be companions to **Odin**, the All-Father, and their names are based on two Proto-Germanaic adjectives. **Geraz** for "greedy". **Frekaz** for "ravenous".**

**Supposedly, since my love for the Japanese anime **_Shaman King_** has been suddenly rekindled, I was to name them Zenki and Kouki, another twins(fictional; based on Japanese spirits and such).**

**I decided to go for Norse ones instead. :)**

**Now, time to answer your reviews.**

_SigmaBlack**: 1) Well, I did told you it will be special. XD 2) I might be able to actually insert a namedrop or even a cameo of them in the next chapter. No promises though.**_

_kseitshiro from SA**: 1) *poke* Dude... you okay? XD 2) I think not. XD 3) #1: As revealed in this chapter, yes they still are. #2: Not yet. But he will appear soon. #3: Calling it a WILD date was an understatement. 4) No sh*t, Sherlock. XD**_

_My Wunderwaffle iz missin**: Here it is! Sorry for the delay!**_

**And that's it! Either you start hating me for making this story dark or you start loving me more for pulling an unexpected twist like this one.**

**I'm fine with both. XD**

**Given that this was a big chapter, I will take a one-week break to focus on my Transformers fic. Plus, I got two chapters from another author to beta-read. In other words, I got my hands full. :D**

**Expect the next update sometime within the first week of March. Also, this won't be the first time that ****I'll use a Nordic name for a Kaiju nor it won't be the only time where ****I'll take inspiration from an anime. Don't worry though. I still got plenty of original ideas. ;)**

**Anyway, please Read &amp; Review!**

**Until next time!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

"-**leaving hundreds dead in the wake of one of the bloodiest Kaiju attack in history**-"

_Click!_

"-**Philippines has just declared a state of calimity in**-"

_Click!_

"-**the entire world mourns for those killed in the incident**-"

_Click!_

"-**yesterday's attack is now being called the 'Bloody Valentine'**-"

It was almost 9pm. The room was dark and barely lit, and the only illumination was the light coming from a TV set on one side of the wall. A gentle breeze blew outside the opened window, ruffling the curtains and bringing the salty aroma of the nearby ocean. Waves crashed on the shores, its faint sound being muffled by the news reporters murmuring from the TV speakers. Every now and then, a faint click could be heard as the channels were switched to another one.

"-**search and rescue missions are still ongoing in the city**-"

"-**the PPDC and UN has already sent major support**-"

With a sigh, Cass turned off the monitor and stared gloomily outside the dorm's common room, grabbing a nearby pillow and hugging it for comfort. Most of the cadets were already in their room to sleep, leaving her to seat alone on the sofa and watch anything on TV that might interest her. Unfortunately, yesterday's events had affected the usual daily programmings, flooding every stations and channels with news updates. She could have endured much of it if only the reports were diversed and focused on different topics, but they were all just reporting the same thing.

Damages in the infrastructures and the amount of dead bodies recovered so far.

It was depressing. Even now, she could still remember the sheer terror in the news reporter's voice during the attack. The look of despair on that boy's face right before the kaiju devoured him. The helpless screams of the civilians while they were being slaughtered mercilessly. She may not have been there to personally experience all of it, but simply watching the horrifying events unfold on live TV like a horror-themed stage play was enough to make her stomach churn.

She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath, trying to purge the bloody images from her mind. She should not be feeling like this; if she couldn't handle something as horrible as death then she has no right to be a Ranger. Death follows the Rangers like a hound everytime, and it was their job to prevent it as much as they could. People dying at the hands of the Kaijus was just a normalcy whenever they attack. But that's why they fight. To ensure that there would be less casualties next time.

And yet, she couldn't help but feel nauseated at the thought of it. Seeing people die, watching them get slaughtered and devoured like sheep. It was just too much. She was really weak when it comes to these things, unlike her sister; Cassey could stomach any sort of bloodiness and violence whereas she couldn't even last a minute when watching zombie movies. All those blood and gore would always leave her dizzy and nausaeous, something her sister constantly pokes fun at. However, she knew that she must eventually overcome this if she wanted to become a Jaeger pilot.

The sound of a door closing broke her from her unpleasant thoughts, and she looked up to see her sister entering the room with a tired expression.

"How is it?" Cassey asked, taking a seat beside her and grabbing the remote to turn on the TV.

"Pretty bad," she shook her head. "The news channels are filled with nothing but death tolls and reports of damages," Cass glanced at the screen with a glum look.

"The 'Bloody Valentine'..." her sister murmured, browsing through the channels.

"Yeah. Everyone is starting to call it that."

"Most of the cadets are talking about it," the older twin nodded slowly. "Some of them are even saying that Valentine's Day won't be the same anymore."

February 14. That's the day reserved solely for St. Valentine. A day where love was freely given and received. A day where many hearts beats faster than a drum. The same day where humans can be happy and at peace with the one they love. It was a social tradition to celebrate it every year, its history extending as far back as the 2nd century, and even during the First War it was never forgotten. But yesterday's attack had changed how people view it entirely. That day would forever be engraved in their memories. The day when death replaced love and happiness was supplanted by grief. When the color of red formerly associated with passion became the color of blood. It would take a very long time before the could forget the horrors that had happened on that day. That is, if they could at all. Certainly it wouldn't be in a decade.

A long silence passed between the twins, both of them lost in thought. Cass continued to stare off in the distance thingking about yesterday's event while Cassey browsed through the channels with a disinterested look, her head propped on one hand. They didn't speak it out loud, but each of them knew that the other was extremely bothered by the attack. If ever they become a Ranger... no, when they become a Ranger, it was their responsibility to prevent a tragedy like it from happening again. After all, they signed up for this willingly; they knew what they were up for from the start. The only problem was: could they do it? Did they have enough strength to fulfill their duty as a Jaeger pilot? What if they fail? What if both of them were...

Cass immediately shook her head. No, she shouldn't be thinking of such things. They haven't even graduated yet. That kind of idea was stupid and pointless as of now. Until they were finally inside a Jaeger, nurturing thoughts like that will just make them less productive.

"It's quite odd though, don't you think?" Cass suddenly frowned and sat up straight, glad to have thought of something to distract her. It's been nagging at the back of her mind ever since the aftermath of the attack, but she wasn't able to voice it out until now.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," she hesitated briefly, shifting in her seat. "it may just be a coincidence, or me thinking over things too much, but I find it rather strange that the attack happened during Valentine's. It's as if the kaijus had deliberatedly chosen a day where a lot of people are outside, forcing us to spread our defenses thin and cause as much death and destruction as they could."

Her face morphed into a troubled expression. She knew it may be nothing, but she couldn't shake this feeling that something was not right. The Kaiju's attack patterns were strange. Used to be they would immediately head for the nearest human settlement as soon as they had emerged from the Breach. But what happened yesterday, or the last few weeks for that matter, was not part of their typical behaviour. It's as if they had actually learned when to attack.

For a moment, Cassey was as still as a statue. Her fingers hovered on a button in the remote, and her face had an unreadable expression. After what seemed like forever, she turned her head toward Cass and gave her a very flat stare.

"What?" Cass blinked.

"I think you're just really thinking over it too much," Cassey rolled her eyes. "I mean, sure, they are smart. But they are not that smart."

"Right?" she asked hopefully.

The silence that ensued between them was enough to make it seem that the TV's volume was on maximum.

"I don't know," Cass admitted with a shrug. "But something really feels off about the this."

"You know what? Let's just go to sleep."

With a sigh, Cassey switched off the monitor and stood up. "We can't make any assumptions until we know more about them, and the only way to do that is to kill one. Which means we-"

"-have to become Rangers first," Cass finished. "Yeah, I get it."

"That's right," her twin nodded. "And if we wanted to become Rangers, we need to pass our training with flying colors. So, let's just go to sleep, okay?" Cassey patted her shoulder. "Nothing will happen if we keep thinking of things that may not even be there."

With that, she turned around and headed for their room, leaving Cass sitting alone once more.

"I hope you're right," she muttered under breath as she stood up and followed her sister.

* * *

"Total damages is estimated to be at least ten million dollars. As for death tolls, 967 bodies has been recovered. Although recent reports indicates it could be higher than that. A lot are still missing, after all."

"What of Dr. Geiszler?"

"He called just a few minutes ago. He said he will remain on site to help Mr. Chau's teams in harvesting any samples. If he finds anything useful, he'll immediately inform us."

Herc sighed and laid down the reports on the table as Tendo finished, feeling much older than he had ever been. It was not this worse during his time as a pilot, not even on the latter days of the First War. Hell, the only one comparable to this was Trespasser's attack when they still had no Jaegers to defend themselves.

This was bad. Their very first kill ever since the Breach was sealed and it felt more like a complete failure. They may have neutralized the threat, but their victory was pyrrhic at best. Almost a thousand dead, and still counting, with large scale destruction that will take years to fix. Not to mention Unit-01's damages. That's just from two kaijus. He didn't want to know what the remaining 14 could do. He wished he wouldn't know, but he couldn't deny the inevitable: they will return.

"How are you both feeling?" he turned to Jason and Vanessa seated across from him. The two veterans were still in a bad mood after yesterday's attack, a sharp contrast to the usual elated and ecstatic grins present on them whenever they killed a kaiju during their days as _Shining Titan_'s pilots. Now, scowls adorned their faces and a deep frown was etched on Vanessa's. Their posture was stiff, rigid and tensed. A barely restrained wrath hidden beneath the surface. Herc had only seen them in this state once before, and that was when they had failed to intercept a kaiju in 2020, almost losing a city in the process if not for _Romeo Blue_'s intervention.

"You wanna know the truth?" Jason growled, his head buried in his hands before lifting it. "We feel like we want to find these bastards wherever they may be hiding and beat the shit out of them until they no longer resemble kaijus before sending them back to their masters."

"Believe me, Jason. The feeling is mutual," Herc grunted. "But unfortunately, we still don't know how to find the others. Not to mention, the Hong Kong Shatterdome is short on Sentinels and pilots."

Though 02 had already been fully repaired from its disastrous battle three days ago, they still had yet to find a suitable pair as Rangers. It's still weeks before the latest batch of cadets graduates from the academy, leaving them with one Sentinel idle. 01 was unfit for combat, its damages more severe than they had anticipated. Neither could they deploy 03 alone; its pilots were still as green as leaves, and Herc couldn't risk losing them. Too many lives had been lost already.

"Any status on our unit?" Vanessa asked.

"Still undergoing extensive repairs. 01 suffered major damages in its systems and hydraulics during your battle. It will take at least another two to three weeks to fix her."

"Great. Just great," Jason groaned, burying his head back in his hands.

"Look, I know this is all frustrating in your part," Herc sighed, sympathetic. "and we feel the same thing too. However, as much as I hate to say this..." the veteran shook his head, "we can't do much at this point other than to wait."

It was the truth, however much they didn't like it. They still had yet to find any leads regarding the whereabouts of the other kaijus, and the Mark-6 line of Jaegers had just started construction. They only had a dozen Sentinels, five understaffed Shatterdomes, and whatever else they could get. Their strength may not be what it once had been during the Golden Age, but it was not as worst as two years ago either. They just had to make do with what they had now. But until they located the other monsters, waiting was the only option available to them.

"We understand that, Herc. But you can't blame us for being like this," Vanessa clenched and unclenched her fists before fixing Herc with a frustrated gaze. "You've been a Ranger too. You know how hard it feels to stand waiting while lives are getting endangered."

"You do not need to remind me that," the aging marshall grunted, remembering the disastrous Hong Kong Incident and all prior attacks he had the misfortune to fail in preventing.

"Besides, you saw the footage of our fight," she continued. "Every second we spend on sitting idly gives those monsters a chance to grow bigger. We can't let that happen. We barely managed to defeat those two, and they were just juveniles. I hate to think what a fully grown one would be like."

"I talked with Dr. Gotlieb about that," Herc nodded. "Based on his calculations, they are growing at a steady rate. However, he also told me that as they get bigger, their growth will considerably slow down. He doesn't know when it will stop though."

"That's the problem then, isn't it?" Vanessa spread her hands helplessly. "How big will they get before they _stop_ growing?"

"For now, we can't answer those questions. We only got two corpses to base our assumptions, after all. The only thing we can do right now is to prepare for the next attack."

"Whenever that may be," he added grimly.

"Easier said than done," Jason snorted. "We don't even have any functioning Sentinels in our Shatterdome. And we are suppose to be the most well-stocked, considering our position in the area. Not to mention, we are short by one pair of pilots."

"Jason, Vanessa, this is not the worst situation we've ever been," Herc said sharply. "You guys should know that. This is nothing compared to Operation Pitfall two years ago where we only had two Jaegers to close the Breach."

"But that's just it!" the former Mark-3 pilot slammed his fists into the table. "We don't want a repeat of that, Herc. Do we still have to wait before it happens again? Before more pilots gets killed and only two units remains?"

He looked at the other two occupants of the room, first to his wife who merely averted her gaze, then to Tendo who just shook his head. When he returned his attention to Herc, he noticed that the man's expression had changed. His face was dark, almost brooding. And his eyes had a hollow and pained look on them.

"You think I don't know the feeling?" he said softly, fixing the veteran Ranger with a piercing yet sorrowful gaze. "I lost my only child in the previous war. You seem to have forgotten about that."

Memories long sealed at the deepest recess of his mind assaulted him. Herc had already moved on from losing Chuck, but there were instances when he couldn't prevent the grief from resurfacing. Two years and he still missed his jerk of a son. A part of him still had regrets in not raising him properly, wishing he could have been a better father. There were also times when he wished he could have died together with the young Ranger, in what could have been their final bonding moment as father and son.

"S-Sorry," Jason mumbled apologetically. He glanced at the others for help, but only received a disapproving glare from Vanessa while Tendo shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Herc merely smiled, albeit sadly. He stood up, grabbing the stack of documents on the table. "I still have to go talk with our chief engineer and see to the repairs," he said with his usual calm demeanor returning. "Tendo, just inform me of further updates regarding yesterday's attack."

"Yes, sir."

"I'll take my leave then. See you all at dinner in the mess hall."

Nodding at Jason and Vanessa he strode toward the door and left, leaving the room with a heavy silence and a depressive atmosphere.

* * *

A cacophony of incomprehensible noises rang throughout the site, disturbing the usual silence of that side of the city during night time. It was a hive of activity with more than a hundred people swarming over the bodies of two large creatures. Shouts and cries could be heard as men carried bone saws and other equipments, dismembering the corpses with efficiency and quickness born from doing it for more than a decade. Spotlights illuminated the area, bathing the surroundings with artificial light. Despite the full moon hanging in the sky and glowing brightly amidst the black canvas of the cloudless night, its light was not enough to fully cover the entire field.

Meanwhile, a group of tents situated near the south was also alive with activity. Various people wearing safety masks and biohazard suits flocked the largest one at the center, carrying glass tanks filled with organs soaked in chemicals and pushing steel tables containing claws, bones and nails. Shouts and yells in two different languages engulfed the whole area, and truck engines roared constantly as they ferry supplies and samples. Helicopters whirled above in the sky, providing security for the harvesters and scientists on the ground. It was a total chaos, as expected every time a Kaiju is killed. And only the most resillient person could remain focused in that kind of atmosphere.

Fortunately, Newton Geizler always had a knack for blocking outside interference when working on a Kaiju. Especially _two_ of them.

The rather dimunitive scientist gaze at a specimen with the intensity and curiousity of a child discovering a new type of insect. His eyes shone with excitement, and his gloved hands eagerly prodded the insides of a kaiju innard. Despite the putrid smell, he wore no face mask, willingly putting his nose closer to the sample as he inspected it intently. This was the first time he had seen such a thing in them, and his wonderment overrode any discomfort he was feeling at the moment. If Hermann were here, he would have scoffed at the sight of him almost burying his head inside a kaiju entrail. Even telling him how stupid he looked. But what could he say? This was his dream, his passion; to study kaijus and learn more about them.

"Amazing," he muttered in awe, grabbing a large tweezer and using it to prod the organ. It was long, and large, taking up most of the table. Fat and squishy, its dull reddish hue gave it the appearance of a snake or a worm, just without any mouths. The texture was soft, almost jelly-like. And the skin was smooth and thin, translucent even.

"What's that? Digestive organs?" one of his assistants came up beside him, staring with eyes wide in shock at the table.

"Yes," Newt nodded slowly, gingerly running a finger against the surface of the membrane. "Up until now, the kaijus didn't have any form of nutrient absorption. Any organs they've had are either for combat or to simply make them live. But this?" he pointed excitedly at the specimen. "This one could actually eat like any animal on this planet. Even their tissues looked different from the ones we had encountered before in the past. It's really amazing!"

He couldn't help the wide smile forming on his lips. Performing an on-the-spot inspection of a kaiju specimen was very rare, and he had only experienced it half a dozen instances in his career. Most of the time, the monsters were either killed in the water or he was so far from the site that he had to make do with harvested items preserved for long travel, not a fresh sample itself. He was fortunate then not to have leave the country as he had originally planned, considering that he couldn't do it even if he wanted to, what with the nationwide flight suspension.

Compared to inspecting a sample on a lab, doing it on-site allows him to have a fresh specimen on hand. Chemical preservatives would often destroy the tissue's viability, rendering it almost useless. An ordinary organ from a common animal would not suffer from it, but a kaiju was different. Their anatomy was engineered to prevent any experiments from being performed on them, with a self-destruct mechanism should they be killed, contaminating the surrounding areas and rendering any samples useless. As such, he would always try his best to be on-site whenever a kaiju is neutralized. Of course, that was when the monsters were still the usual kaijus.

This particular one and its twin, however...

"So what does this mean, Doctor?" his assistant asked, glancing at him with a curious expression.

Newt was silent for a moment, contemplating his answer carefully. Unfortunately, just as he was about to reply, a certain black market dealer beat him to it.

"It means these ugly bastards are getting tougher and nastier."

In that instance, Newton Geiszler felt a tinge of nervousness crawling at his chest.

"Hannibal Chau," he muttered, turning his attention at the tent's entrance.

There stood his boss, business partner, and colleague, looking as intimidating as ever despite being twice his age. As always, he wore his expensive-looking gold-plated attire, flanked by two heavyset guards, and looking as smug and arrogant as he had first met him. He didn't really know what prompted him to work with him, considering their first encounter had almost resulted in him being used as practice dummy for his bodyguards. The man was demanding and greedy, and _scary_ as well. There were times when he felt like he was working more than he was getting paid for, despite his monthly consultation fee having at least eight digits. It certainly was more than what the PPDC was giving him.

Still, the shady merchant and illegal smuggler could give him what he needed: a lot of kaiju samples. They got many specimens that the PPDC didn't had or couldn't get their hands on, and even though he was feeling a bit overworked, he knew Hannibal Chau was the only person who could fulfill his dream. He just wished that the man would be less inconsiderate of him.

"Dr. Geiszler, I hope you are not taking home most of the harvested items here," Chau glowered as he approached, his guards following him like loyal hounds. "Because you know I will need them for my products. Especially the claws."

"Yes, of course," Newt nodded vigorously. "I understand. I am just going to have a few samples."

"You better be," he narrowed his eyes in his direction, "or else I'll take samples from _you_."

Newt swallowed, understanding the supposed dual meaning of that sentence. Although, he knew Chau was just bluffing. An empty threat to coerce him into following the rules he had given him. However, whenever he remembers the rumors he would always hear regarding the bloody side of his business, he couldn't help but believe his threats were not just as simple as that.

"Have you heard?" Chau said as he admired a harvested claw from one of the twins, caressing its smooth surface. "One of my boys had already analyzed the skin from the first batch we got yesterday."

At this, Newt perked up in interest. "Oh? What did he find out?"

He should have been jealous, but he knew that he couldn't do everything at once, however much he wanted badly to be the one who would analyze the sample. He didn't have any proper equipment anyway.

There was a full minute of silence as the smuggler moved to a different specimen. A spike from the spine this time.

"These ones are carbon-based," he said at last.

For a moment, the revelation didn't register into Newt's brain. He couldn't comprehend what he just said at first, shocked as he was with the information. But as it began to dawn on him, a dozen ideas started to race in his mind, each one more alarming than the previous ones.

"C-Carbon-based? But that means..." his voice trailed off, eyes widening in realization.

"Yes," Chau nodded. "Their metabolic functions are now similar to every life on this planet. That's why they have digestive systems now," he waved to the intestines on the table. "Because they will need to eat. Naturally, all the nutrients will help them grow bigger. And the more nutrients they receive, the stronger they will become."

The implications of what he said was not lost on the kaiju expert. If all kaijus they had yet to locate so far were like this then the world was in far more danger than they had initially thought. Those monsters would surely hunt down larger preys for sustenance, and as they grow bigger they would need more supplies. If one area was swept clean, they would certainly move on toward another with a larger source of food. And if that was not enough, they might start hitting settlements with huge concentration of livestocks. Farms and ranches, even nature reserves or water parks with lots of oceanic creatures. The coastal areas would be hunted dry because of the fishes, and Africa might be targeted with its population of elephants. The monsters would spread all over the world, disappearing from trace until they were huge enough to surpass a Category V.

"My god," he whispered, feeling his knees tremble. This was worse than before. A lot worsethan a Double or Triple Event. And they were _fourteen_ of them. If they all reached maturity and terrifying size, he doubt if an army of Mark-6s could even bring them down. Not with the intelligence and hive mentality they possessed.

"Well, it doesn't matter as long as we can kill them," Chau shrugged indifferently. "It would be easier this time, I think."

"Their blood," Newt agreed.

The dealer nodded. "Kaiju Blue is no longer as toxic as it once was, and the acidity is also less. My guess is they changed them to be able to survive longer on this environment. A carbon-based creature wouldn't benefit much if their blood is acidic and poisonous. It will quickly destroy them from the inside, dissolving their organs and contaminating their body."

"Still, that's to our advantage," he raised a finger and smirked. "We can analyze their blood now and search for new methods to kill them. It's up to the PPDC and the idiots supporting them though," his face droped into a scowl, "if they can actually find a way. Everyone knows those damn bureaucrats and politicians cares more about their money than people's lives."

Shaking his head, he turned to Newt.

"When will you be finished?"

The scientist thought for a minute. "Um, after a couple of hours. I still have to check the other twin and see if there's anything else we can collect."

"Good," Chau nodded in approval. "Tell me which parts are you going to bring back to Hong Kong. Just make sure not to take most of the bones and claws."

Just as he was about to leave, a coffee-skinned man suddenly burst inside the tent in a hurry. He was dressed in a biohazard suit with his protective helmet missing, covered in slime and fluids. From the look on his face, he must have discovered something important.

"Doctor! Doctor Geisler!"

"Yes, what is it?" Newt frowned in his direction.

"You have to come with us immediately!" his voice rising in panic. "Team 3 has noticed something strange in one of specimens!"

"Strange? What do you mean?" Chau furrowed his brows, looking curious and interested. Without a doubt, he must be thinking what sort of profit he could gain from this.

For a moment, the man swallowed several times as he glanced between the two of them. There was a terrified expression on his face, and he looked deathly pale. When he spoke at last, he only managed a croak. However, it was what he said that told them the gravity of the situation they were in.

"It's a male."

* * *

**A year and a week. Yeah, that's how long it took me to write a new chapter. :/**

**I have to sincerely apologize for the delay. Blame my brain for an army of story ideas and plot bunnies which multiplied my list of projects from a mere 4 fanfics to an alarming 19, with more than half of them all WIPs. That, and my health had not been good last year. Not to mention my personal life. So, yeah, a year and a week.**

**Admit it though. My writing is definitely better this time. ;)**

**Anyway, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the official first chapter of **_Interlude_'**s ****Act II. I already have the general outline and direction for this story planned out, so expect the next chapters to become more interesting.**

**This fic will be darker from now on. Not really to the point of depressing, but more serious and slightly gritty. Of course, humor will still be present. But so will be drama. This chapter alone is a proof of that. Expect some deaths along the way, mostly to OCs.**

**Admittedly, writing a fanfic centered on OCs are TEDIOUS. I have to start from scratch, and trying to have them with interesting personalities and morals are making my brain scream. There are the submitted ones, of course. But for my own creations... well, you get the idea. That's also part of the reason it took me so long to release an update. Because I wanted to hone myself by writing other stories and experimenting on canon characters. In any case, I hope you've seen any improvements on my characterization in this one. I hope I didn't made them OOC. The canon ones, at least.**

**I am not an expert in biology. So if you see anything wrong with how I portrayed anatomy in general, don't hesitate to correct me. I definitely sucked at these things, being more of a techie guy. XD**

**Well, that's it for now. I don't know when I could post another update, but you can check out my profile for the complete schedule this 2016. And you may be pleased to know that **_Pacific Rim: Interlude _**is included for the most of it. :)**

**Please Read &amp; Review!**

**Until next time!**


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